India, Italy sign Cultural Exchange Programme

New Delhi, Feb 20 (UNI) Deepening their cultural ties, India and Italy have signed a cultural exchange Programme (CEP), 2007-2009, envisaging cooperation in restoration and protection of cultural heritage, countering illicit trade in works of art and facilitating exchanges of academicians of their respective universities.

The CEP, signed between Tourism and Culture Secretary S K Arora and Italian Ambassador to India Antonio Armellini, covers a wide variety of issues, including education, arts and visual events, archives, libraries and publishing, cooperation in the fields of information, radio and television, tourism, youth affairs and sports.

Both the countries agreed to counter illicit trade in works of art with preventive and remedial measures in accordance with their respective national laws as well as the provisions of a 1970 UNESCO International Convention on Cultural and the principles of the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.

India and Italy also agreed to cooperate in protection of submerged cultural heritage as per their respective legislation regarding submarine archaeology, and in tune with the principles contained in the 2001 UNESCO International Convention on the Protection of Underwater Cultural Heritage.

The two countries agreed to develop bilateral co-operation in the field of protection of intellectual property and copyright and encourage contacts and exchanges between their respective universities and institutions of higher artistic education through the signing of agreements and exchange of teachers, data and information.

It was agreed that the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Directorate General for Cultural Promotion and Co-operation) would consider the possibility of its continued support to Italian lectureships at the University of Bangalore, University of Goa, Jadavpur University, University of Madras, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, Vishwa Bharati University, Shantiniketan, Banaras Hindu University, Vanasthali Vidyapith, Rajasthan, KJ Somaiya Bharatiya Sanskriti Peetham, Mumbai, and Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Mumbai.

India and Italy favoured each other's participation in the 'Venice Biennale' and the 'Trienniale of India, 2008.' Further, two countries welcomed the initiative of the City of Firenze and the University of Firenze to organise in 2008 a cultural programme in Delhi and Bangalore in order to promote the cultural and scientific relations between the cities.

It was decided that the two countries would exchange annually, on a reciprocal basis, one archivist (except film archivist) for 10 days to study the archival systems for reserach purposes.

With regard to the exchange of information, books and periodicals between libraries, academies and other cultural institutions of both countries, Italy showed willingness to send experts in the field of restoration, cataloguing, computer science, library trade and book promotion.

UNI