DUSHANBE, May 5, 2009, Asia-Plus — Visiting UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura has presented President Emomali Rahmon with the UNESCO Gold Medal named after Mawlana Jalal ud-Din Rumi.
On Tuesday May 5, President Emomali Rahmon received visiting UNESCO Director-General Koichiro Matsuura..
According to presidential press service, the two discussed issues related to cooperation between the Government of Tajikistan and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.
President Rahmon expressed gratitude to UNESCO for support for reconstruction and preservation of historical and cultural relics in Tajikistan.
The two sides highly appraised cooperation between Tajikistan and the UNESCO in solving water-related problems.
Mr. Matsuura noted that UNESCO would assist Tajikistan with implementation of water-related projects in the future as well.
They also considered holding of a regional meeting on Lake Sarez problems in Dushanbe in September this year as well as preparations for international conference on the results of the first half of the Water for Life Decade. The sides also discussed issues related to protection of natural resources of Tajikistan, cultural and literary heritage of the Tajik people.
The UNSECO director-general noted that the Organization would do all that was in its power to include ancient settlement Sarazm, the National Park of Tajikistan, Hulbuk Fortress, as well as sites of ancient settlements of Panjakent and Takhti Sangin, the Buddhist Monastery of Ajina Teppa and some other cultural relics on the UNESCO World Heritage List, the press service said. It was noted that the ancient settlement Sarazm and the National Park of Tajikistan would be included on the World Heritage List in the near future.
Rahmon and Matsuura also expressed satisfaction with cooperation between Tajikistan and UNESCO in the frames of the programs of UNESCO Participation, Education for All and Education for Adults.
The UNESCO head presented Tajik leader with the UNESCO Gold Medal named after great Persian-language poet and philosopher Mawlana Jalal ud-Din Rumi. President Rahmon was awarded the medal for significant contribution to expansion cooperation between Tajikistan and the UNESCO.
We will recall that UNESCO celebrated the 800th anniversary of Mawlana’s birth at its Paris headquarters on September 6, 3007. The Director-General, Koichiro Matsuura, inaugurated a day-long program of cultural events, highlighted by the launching of a commemorative medal. Struck by the Paris Mint, the medal’s obverse side bears a portrait of the poet. The reverse features the UNESCO logo. The medal is available in gold, silver and bronze.
