Archeologists, Experts Meet In Cambodia To Discuss Preservation Of Angkor Wat

SIEM REAP, Cambodia, Dec 5 (Bernama) -- More than 300 national and international archeologists and cultural experts gathered here Thursday to exchange views and design a new plan on preserving the Angkor Wat Temple, Xinhua news agency reported.

Among foreign guests attending the Third Inter-Governmental Conference on Angkor included French Minister of Culture and Communications Aurelie Filippetti, Japanese Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Yasumasa Nagamine, and UNESCO's World Heritage Centre director, Kishore Rao.

"The conference provides a venue for experts and officials from over 30 countries to discuss how advanced technology could be applied for the cultural preservation of Angkor," said a statement.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen said at the opening ceremony that the conference was to review the past decade's results in safeguarding and developing the Angkor Wat and to draw up an action plan for 2014-2024.

"In the past decade, the Cambodian government with full support from the international community and UNESCO has preserved this Angkor World Heritage site by maintaining the original forms of all ancient temples," he said.

"I call on everyone representing the international community to continue your support for the new action plan for the next ten years," he said.

The Angkor Wat attracted 2 million foreign visitors last year and some 1.57 million in the first nine months of 2013.

Hun Sen said the overcrowded number of visitors to Angkor Wat showed the site's exceptional beauty and one should not blame stone erosions at the temple to the high growth of visitors.

"Even though there are concerns about risks to resorts and temples due to overcrowded tourists, we should be vigilant and not view the high number of people visiting the Angkor Wat negatively," the premier said.

More than 60 projects to restore the Angkor Wat have been completed or are being implemented with support from 16 countries including France, Japan, India, China, Switzerland and New Zealand along with 28 international organisations.

-- BERNAMA

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http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v7/wn/newsworld.php?id=998752