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Baku works towards having Shusha, Khodaafarin Bridges added to World Heritage List

According to the acting minister of culture, contacts have already been established with international and local experts who have been invited to visit Shusha

BAKU, November 16./TASS/. Azerbaijan has embarked on an activity to have the city of Shusha and Khodaafarin Bridges on UNESCO’s World Heritage List, Acting Minister of Culture Anar Karimov told journalists on Monday.

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Shusha and the medieval arch bridges are located on the territory that has passed under the control of Baku after an escalation of the conflict in Nagorno-Karabakh.

According to the minister, contacts have already been established with international and local experts who have been invited to visit Shusha. "They will visit the historical center of the city to inspect it, after which a dossier of the candidate will be put together and presented to UNESCO," Anar Kerimov said.

According to the minister, the same work is carried out regarding the bridges, with a dossier being put together. "First of all, Khodaafarin Bridges must be put on the Tentative List of UNESCO. After that, we will try together with the Islamic Republic of Iran to see them put on the World Heritage List. Together, since these bridges are located in the border area," he explained.

On November 9, Russian President Vladimir Putin, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan signed a joint statement on a full ceasefire in Nagorno-Karabakh. As the Russian leader said, Azerbaijani and Armenian forces will maintain the positions that they have held, while Russian peacekeepers will be deployed to the region.

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