On November 1 the NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport organized visiting parliamentary hearings in the Hall of Frescoes of the National Gallery. The theme of the parliamentary hearings was “The Events and Problems Aimed at the Protection of Historical Monuments and Provision of Their Heritage” The RA Minister of Culture Hasmik Pohgosyan, the RA NA deputies, representatives of the NKR Government and the NKR NA, of the sphere and the NGOs were taking part in the hearings. The Committee Chairman Artak Davtyan presented the key reporters and the theme of the hearings.

The RA Deputy Minister of Culture Arev Samuelyan presented the events aimed at the protection of historical and cultural monuments and problems existing in the sphere. Arev Samuelyan talked about the international conventions providing the protection of the monuments adopted by the RA, and repairing the monuments.

The Minister of Culture Hasmik Poghosyan talked about the Armenian-Italian programme in the sphere of preservation, study and restoration of historical-cultural heritage, within the framework of which a magistrate course of specialists for restoring monuments was created. The Italian side gave as presents instruments, necessary literature, which the Armenian specialists needed.

The Head of Department of Tourism and Preservation of Historical Environment adjunct to NKR Government Segey Shahverdyan and the Chairman of the NKR NA Standing Committee on Science, Education, Culture, Youth and Sport Armen Sargsyan introduced the events aimed at preservation of monuments. They noted that through years the Armenian monuments of Artsakh had been desecrated and destroyed by the Azerbaijanis. Today approaches are different, and serious work is done for the preservation and restoration of monuments in the NKR territory.

The member of the RA NA Standing Committee on State and Legal Affairs Arpine Hovhannisyan introduced the legislative initiative “On Amending the RA Law on the Protection and Use of Historical and Cultural Immovable Monuments and Historical Environment.” During the debate the specialists expressed various opinions on the bill. The Committee Chairman Artak Davtyan urged to submit in written form all the sounded recommendations, which would be taken into account in the elaboration of the bill.