Eu Day Light

Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Dr. Varsen Aghabekian Shahin received UNESCO Representative to Palestine and Head of the Ramallah Office Karim Hindli and congratulated him on his new position.

During the meeting, Palestine’s commitment to strengthening cooperation with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) was emphasized, while attention was drawn to the importance of allowing UN agencies to carry out their duties freely on the ground.

The statement criticized policies concerning cultural heritage sites in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including property transfers, excavation activities, and practices related to the protection of historical artifacts. It also noted that allocating budgets to settlement projects poses risks to heritage preservation.

The ministry highlighted increasing pressure on Islamic and Christian holy sites, stressing that the education system in East Jerusalem and the humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip have also been seriously affected.

The Palestinian side emphasized that the continuation of UNESCO’s efforts to protect cultural heritage in the region is critical and called on the international community to provide stronger support.