The recent 7th Meeting of ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts in Banda Seri Begawan, Brunei Darussalam has endorsed the Vientiane Declaration on Reinforcing Cultural Heritage Cooperation in ASEAN , said Deputy Minister of Information, Culture and Tourism, Mr. Savankhone Razmountry, head o f the Lao delegation to this meeting.The Vientiane Declaration, advanced by the Lao PDR, was first considered and endorsed at the 15th ASEAN Socio-Cultural Community Council (ASCC) meeting in Luang Prabang last June.
Mr. Savankhone said yesterday that after having been endorsed by the sectoral body’s meeting the Vientiane Declaration will be forwarded back to the 16th ASCC in Vientiane from August 30-31 before submission to ASEAN leaders for adoption at the 28th ASEAN Summit to be held in our country early next month.
The declaration aims to reaffirm the AMS’s Commitment to previous culture-related declarations that highlight the important role culture plays in building a coherent and harmonious ASEAN Community and to reflect concerns over increasing threats to tangible cultural heritage as a result of illicit trafficking in cultural property, natural disasters, climate change, unsustainable tourism, including threats emanating from poverty and marginalisation.
The declaration underscores actions including the protection of cultural heritage, preservation of cultural heritage, promotion of cultural heritage and strengthening of intangible cultural heritage cooperation.
The Vientiane Declaration is aligned with the Strategic Plan for Culture and Arts 2016-2025.
Besides this, the ASEAN culture and arts ministers’ meeting also endorsed the Bandar Seri Begawan Declaration on Culture and Arts to Promote ASEAN’s Identity Towards a Dynamic and Harmonious ASEAN Community, which will be submitted through the 16th ASCC meeting to the 28th ASEAN summit for adoption.
Mr. Savankhone, on behalf of the Lao government,t sincerely thanked the ASEAN ministers responsible for culture and arts and their delegations for supporting the said Vientiane declaration.
He also expressed thanks to the government and people of Brunei Darussalam, in particular the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, as host and chair of the 7th AMCA Meeting, for their full support of the Lao initiative. Taking this opportunity Mr. Savankhone extended invitations to the ASCC ministers and delegations to attend the 16th ASCC in Vientiane this week.
Source: Vientiane Times
