The Yemeni government has struck a partnership agreement with the United States to protect and document Yemeni antiquities, in addition to training cadres on restoring them, sources said.
They said that Yemeni Minister of Cultural Marwan Dammaj discussed the issue with Assistant US Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs Marie Royce in Washington on Thursday.
For the past four years, Houthi militias have left a devastating toll on Yemen’s cultural history by destroying dozens of historic sites and monuments.
Dammaj and Royce discussed aspects of cultural cooperation between the two countries and agreed on establishing a sustainable cultural partnership to counter illicit dealing with Yemeni antiquities in the US.
They also agreed on making arrangements for training programs for the Yemeni cadres who are specialists in antiquities excavations, document and preservation.
Dammaj stressed the pressing need for protecting Yemeni antiquities against looting, random excavation and smuggling out of the country.
“Houthi militias created a serious security and institutional vacuum conducive to trafficking, smuggling antiquities and ruining the country's precious treasures,” he said.
The Yemeni minister also thanked the US administration, cultural institutions and archeological missions that play significant roles in preserving Yemen's cultural heritage.
For her part, Royce said her country's administration is interested in the situation in Yemen including protecting the country’s cultural heritage, Saba news agency reported.
In Washington, Dammaj also met with President of the Middle East Institute Paul Salim in the presence of the Deputy Chairman of Experts Board of the Institute, former American Ambassador to Yemen Gerald Feierstein.
Dammaj and Salim explored the best methods that can help protect Yemen's antiquities and the prospects of American institutions' contribution to preserve Yemeni cultural heritage.
