Mr. KEUM, Gi Hyung, ICHCAP Director-General is signing an MoU with Hon. Bakhtiyor Sayfullayev, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan. © ICHCAP

On August 27, ICHCAP signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the State Committee for Tourism Development of the Republic of Uzbekistan for the safeguarding and promotion of intangible heritage along the Silk Roads.

The signing ceremony was attended by Mr. KEUM, Gi Hyung, ICHCAP Director-General; Hon. Bakhtiyor Sayfullayev, Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan; and Mr. Abdulaziz Akkulov, Acting Chairman of the State Committee for Tourism Development, who utilized the occasion to share common visions and goals.

Mr. KEUM, Gi Hyung, ICHCAP Director-General and Hon. Bakhtiyor Sayfullaev Minister of Culture of the Republic of Uzbekistan discuss the key areas of cooperation based on the signed MOU. © ICHCAP

This agreement came to fruition through the concerted efforts of the three organizations under the aim of safeguarding and promoting precious intangible heritage of Central Asia, including Uzbekistan located in the heartland of the Silk Road, against the rapid extinction of numerous intangible heritage due to the impact of globalization and urbanization today. Specifically, the agreement is a follow-up measure to the MOU for cooperation on cultural heritage that was concluded between the Uzbekistan Ministry of Culture and the Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea during President Moon Jae-in’s state visit to Uzbekistan in April, 2019. This represents a meaningful step forward in implementing the agreement concluded between the two countries to safeguard cultural heritage.

Key details of the agreement include: Collection and distribution of rich Silkroad ICH information and resources, including festivals, crafts and performing arts; building Silk Road ICH network; hosting international symposiums and workshops; building on-and-offline platform to share Silkroad ICH information and resources; and enhancing mutual cooperation for personnel exchanges.

Mr. KEUM said that “this agreement is an opportunity to promote the magnificent intangible heritage along the Silk Road across Central Asia,” further announcing the intention to “implement various measures to create synergy with Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Culture and State Committee for Tourism Development based on ICHCAP’s expertise and experience.”

Mr. KEUM, Gi Hyung, ICHCAP Director-General is sharing the new plan to safeguard Silkroad ICH at the interview with Uzbekistan media. © ICHCAP

Hon. Bakhtiyor Sayfullayev commented, “The vitalization of Uzbekistan ICH should serve as the starting point to realize a cultural renaissance beyond Central Asia and across the entire Silk Road.” Mr. Abdulaziz Akkulov also expressed his hope that “the strategic development of Uzbekistan ICH into tourism resources will bring about the development and promotion of nationwide economy.”

Through the signing of this tripartite agreement with the Uzbekistan Ministry of Culture and the State Committee for Tourism Development, ICHCAP plans to host Silkroad ICH festival network and build Silkroad ICH Information Sharing Platform from a medium- to long-term perspective from 2020 onward. Furthermore, ICHCAP plans to cooperate with the Cultural Heritage Administration of South Korea, along with the National Intangible Heritage Center to channel these efforts to disseminating rich value of Silkroad ICH, through measures such as strengthening support for the participation of domestic ICH communities and practitioners in Silkroad ICH festivals.