YEREVAN. – Armenian capital city Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan hosted the participants in the International Council of Museums Committee for Education and Cultural Action (ICOM CECA) symposium, which is being held in Yerevan and within the framework of the events devoted to UNESCO’s declaring the Armenian capital city as World Book Capital for 2012.  

Welcoming ICOM President Hans-Martin Hinz and other symposium attendees, Margaryan remarked that ICOM’s decision to hold such international event in Yerevan is symbolic because Armenia’s 2794-year-old capital city is also celebrating this year the 500th anniversary of Armenian printed books, Yerevan Municipality Information and Public Relations Department informs.     

“Truly, there aren’t too many people that can be proud of such cultural heritage. I am convinced that you yourselves will have the chance to be convinced of this. I am confident that this symposium will be a start for new projects and it will encourage the strengthening of ties among museums and the exchange of experience,” the Yerevan Mayor said.    

In his turn, ICOM President Hans-Martin Hinz noted that, truly, very small number of nations can be proud of having such rich cultural heritage, and he assured that the aforesaid symposium will become yet another stimulus for consolidating cultural ties and it will endow an additional opportunity to make Armenian culture become more recognizable for the world.     

Taron Margaryan assured that the Municipality will actively participate in the implementation of these programs.

Also, International Council of Museums President Hans-Martin Hinz awarded Yerevan Mayor Taron Margaryan with the ICOM medal for his assistance in holding the symposium in Armenia’s capital city.