Moscow thankful to Tokyo for supporting resolution on Palmyra in UNESCO - Lavrov

TOKYO, April 15. /TASS/. Russia is thankful to Japan for supporting the decision of UNESCO Executive Board on restoring Palmyra and other cultural sites in Syria, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told a press conference on Friday after talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. "I want to thank Japanese colleagues for supporting the decision of UNESCO Executive Board, the decision that was made several days ago on the Russian initiative and is devoted to the importance of saving Palmyra and other cultural sites in Syria," Lavrov said. "The decision was made by consensus, and it welcomes the liberation of Palmyra from terrorists," he added. "It envisages sending a mission of UNESCO experts to Palmyra as soon as security situation allows, to assess the damage and the volume of work required for restoration of this invaluable monument," the foreign minister added. He also noted that "it envisages creating the international fund of supporting these efforts." "Russia will participate in financing this fund. We hope that Japan will make a contribution as well, considering its reputation as an active donor of international cooperation," he concluded. Palmyra, an ancient city in Syria’s Homs province, was under the control of Islamic State militants since May 2015 and was liberated by the Syrian army on March 27, 2016, with support from the Russian air group and special operations forces. The city referred to as the "gem" of the Syrian Desert was one of the richest ancient civilization centers. The Silk Route ran through Palmyra located in an oasis some 240 kilometers of Damascus. Palmyra’s architectural museum complex has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Read more