KABUL — Taliban’s minister of information and culture called for international support to help protect Afghanistan’s cultural heritage in a meeting with Per Albert Ilsaas, the Chargé d’Affaires of the Norwegian embassy for Afghanistan.
According to a statement from the ministry, Khairullah Khairkhwa, Taliban’s information and culture minister, stressed that safeguarding Afghanistan’s cultural heritage is not only a national duty but also a shared responsibility of the international community.
The statement quoted the Norwegian diplomat as saying that Norway remains committed to continuing its past assistance and will collaborate with relevant institutions to support cultural heritage preservation efforts.
Afghanistan, home to a wealth of historical sites, has seen significant damage to its cultural landmarks due to decades of war and conflict.
Among the most endangered is the Minaret of Jam in Ghor province, an 800-year-old UNESCO-listed structure, which is currently at risk of collapse, raising serious concerns among preservationists and historians.
