GYUMRI-KARS: HISTORICAL CULTURAL TOURISM SYMPOSIUM
ArmenPress
June 9 2004
YEREVAN, JUNE 9, ARMENPRESS: The Yerevan office of Academy for
Education Development (AED) in cooperation with several organizations
and interested individual and with the financial support of USAID
has initiated a project, called “Gyumri-Kars: Historical Cultural
Tourism Symposium”. The Symposium is supposed to be held on June 15-18-
the first two days in Gyumri and the last two in Turkish Kars, lying
across the border.
Local government officials, experts on preservation of historical
cultural monuments, specialists in architecture and tourism and
businessmen form Armenia and Turkey were invited to participate and
discuss the present challenges of preservation of historical and
natural objects and development of tourism.
During the symposium the participants are expected to observe the
current state of historical and natural monuments in Kars and Shirak.
They will confer necessary steps to be taken to prevent the monuments
from further destruction. The participants will also discuss prospects
for developing tourism.
A strategy on developing tourism and preservation of historical
monuments in Gyumri and Kars is expected to be developed . The
strategy will be submitted to the interest of state bodies, donor
and international organizations, other interested parties.
According to Academy of Education Development Yerevan office,
preparatory works are almost complete. All the details are conferred
and agreed upon with the Turkish side. However, according to our
sources, there is a concern among Turkish participants that the
symposium will fail. They recall Ankara where the respective bodies
have not authorized the visit to Gyumri.
In case of such development, this will be not the first case when
bilateral initiations fail because of ‘lack of willingness’ from
Ankara at the last moment.