The Minister of Culture and Arts, Malika Bendouda signed, in Algiers, with the Ambassador of the United States of America in Algiers, John Desrocher, an executive program for the preservation and restoration of cultural heritage with a view to strengthening the capacities of the National Office for the Management and Exploitation of Protected Cultural Properties, according to a press release from the ministry.
The signed program concerns the archaeological sites of Tipasa and Timgad (Batna), classified as World Heritage sites. The said program is part of a "five-year roadmap" to implement the memorandum signed by the Algerian and U.S. governments on August 15, 2019, which contains a series of activities aimed at stopping the looting of Algerian cultural property, protecting the Algerian cultural heritage, and intensifying scientific, cultural and educational exchanges.
The document highlights the "common commitment" of Algeria and the United States to protect Algerian heritage and strengthen economic development around sustainable tourism, in addition to limiting the looting and trafficking of cultural goods. For his part, the American ambassador considered that this agreement was intended to be the prelude to a series of activities planned between the two countries in the field of heritage protection.
