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Russia extends invitation to foreign experts to visit Chersonesos — mission to UNESCO

Earlier, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that UNESCO officials "can make a trip to Crimea if they so wish" and visit Tauric Chersonesos in order to assess its condition

PARIS, August 2. /TASS/. Russia is ready to arrange a visit to Crimea’s Tauric Chersonesos for foreign experts to verify its preservation as a UNESCO World Heritage site, the Russian permanent mission to UNESCO said in a statement.

"Russia regularly provides the World Heritage Center with reports about the condition of this site. We are ready to arrange visits to the site for members of international organizations and experts based on their mandates and the procedures applicable to visits to Russia," the statement reads.

The mission added that Moscow had never refused cooperation with International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) experts or prevented expert trips to Tauric Chersonesos.

Earlier, Russian Presidential Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that UNESCO officials "can make a trip to Crimea if they so wish" and visit Tauric Chersonesos in order to assess its condition. The statement came in response to the Ukrainian Culture Ministry’s plans to demand that Tauric Chersonesos be added to UNESCO's list of endangered world heritage sites.

Chersonesos was founded as a Greek colony in 424-421 BC. Prince Vladimir, who was baptized here in the 10th century, adopted Christianity as the official religion of Russia. A museum on the territory of the ancient settlement has been operating for over a century, but efforts to create a historical and archaeological park in the area began only a few years ago. The complex includes several museums and other facilities, along with a large park.

The site was put on the UNESCO World Heritage list in 2013. UNESCO experts haven’t visited Chersonesus since 2014, when a referendum paved the way for Crimea’s reunification with Russia. However, despite Kiev’s years-long accusations against Moscow, the international organization has not brought up the possibility of changing the status of the site.