UN officials here said the meeting will dwell upon the new initiatives for cooperation in the area of heritage-based development of the city.
NEW DELHI: The regional government of Andalusia in southern Spain is contemplating funding of cultural and heritage development of Varanasi, one of the world's most ancient cities and home to Lord Shiva.
Gaspar Zarrias, Vice-President of Andalusia in southern Spain, who is on a two-day visit starting today, will discuss the modalities of cooperation with UNESCO and INTACH (Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage).
UN officials here said the meeting will dwell upon the new initiatives for cooperation in the area of heritage-based development of the city.
The official visit Andalusia vice-president and his delegation of the government also coincides with Spains National Day on October 12, they added.
UNESCO will be lending technical support through the Network of Indian Cities of Living Heritage - established by UN body in 2006 with the support from the Ministry of Urban Development and the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission.
The Network aims to promote sustainable, heritage based development of Indias historic cities.
"The Network of Indian Cities enables its members to share ideas and expertise so that India's most historic regions and cities can develop in ways that value their heritage and use it as an engine for socio-economic growth," said Minja Yang, Director of the UNESCO New Delhi office.
"It has several international partners, and we are delighted to now include the participation of Andalusia, a region of Spain that is world famous for its Islamic heritage in cities like Seville and Granada," Yang added.
Welcoming the Andalusian government's initiative, Yang said, "From a cultural point of view, Varanasi is one of India's most important cities."
He observed the ancient city expresses much about the spirituality of the country, and it does so through its geography and architecture.
"Developing the city in such a way as to preserve its living cultural heritage is tremendously important," he said.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) to underpin the cooperation would be signed soon between Andalusia and the headquarters of UNESCO in Paris.
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