From December 5 to 9, 2024, the Third Subregional Conference and Field Practical Workshop on the Silk Road is being held in Ashgabat as part of the UNESCO/Japan FIT project, "Support Silk Roads World Heritage Nominations Process" (Phase III). The event focuses on preparing the nomination of the Caspian-Volga Corridor of the Silk Road for inclusion in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The conference gathers national coordinators and experts from Azerbaijan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Russia and Turkmenistan. Discussions are centered on developing justification for the Caspian-Volga Corridor's inclusion in the UNESCO Heritage List, creating an atlas of maps, inventorying historical and cultural sites, and studying the region’s underwater heritage. Special attention is given to employing modern technologies, including remote sensing, to enhance the quality of documentation.
One of the primary objectives of the event is to agree on a roadmap for the nomination process. Other key topics include improving coordination between participating countries, implementing modern methods for studying cultural heritage and promoting the preservation and management of historical sites in the region.
In his address, President of the Turkic Academy, Professor Shahin Mustafayev, emphasized the importance of the Caspian-Volga Corridor as a central hub of ancient trade routes. He highlighted the significant contribution of this project to the preservation of cultural heritage and the dynamic development of tourism in the region.
It is worth noting that the UNESCO and Japan Fund-in-Trust (FIT) project has already enabled the inclusion of the Chang'an-Tian-shan Corridor (2014) and the Zarafshan-Karakum Corridor (2023) in the World Heritage List. In its third phase, the project focuses on the Caspian-Volga region, which historically played a crucial role in facilitating trade and cultural connections between East and West.
