Eight sites along Silk Road in Kazakhstan given World Heritage status

Part of the millennium-old trade route, the Silk Road has been successfully included in the UNESCO World Heritage list at the 38th session of the World Heritage Committee in Doha, Qatar.

The application was jointly submitted by Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and China.

China, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan formally launched the project to apply for adding the initial section of the Silk Road and the routes network of the Tian-shan Corridor onto the World Heritage list.

The International Council on Monuments and Sites said in its evaluation report that it is an important milestone as three nations jointly applied for the nomination.

It is also the result of seven years of effort made by the three countries and will lay a foundation for future such applications.

About 2,000 years ago, the corridor served cultural and trading exchanges between Europe and Asia.

The section is about 5000 kilometres long.

The Silk Road in Kazakhstan is divided into several main sections (parts).

Represented and marked by monuments of history and culture these sections (roads) are original and have distinct features distinguishing them one from each other.

Most probably, it was the natural environment and adaptation of human to existence in definite climatic conditions that has shaped the originality of a definite section.

It can be affirmed with full confidence that the Silk Road is a phenomenon of unification of diversity of regions with the help of universal system of exchange of human values which was created, developed and maintained by people of different ethnical, linguistic, religious belonging during more than two thousand of years of existence of the Silk Road.

Four main sections (roads) on the territory of Kazakhstan are being offered for consideration: Semirechye, Syrdarya, Saryarka and Mangyshlak (Uralo-Prikaspiyskiy).

It was possible to reach lower Ural and Volga from Urgench, following the road of Ustyurt caravanserais.

On this part of the road there was situated Kyzylkala town. Passing by the territories of Southern and Northern Priaralye the trade arteries lead to the towns on Ural (Zhaiyk) river: Saraichik and Zhaiyk towns. Then they lead the caravans to thewestern direction-to the Europe, Crimea and Caucasus, and also to the "Zhaiyk road" to the Esatern Priuralye, Ural and Povolzhye.

Directions of the Silk Road were not static: during the centuries the biggest significancy received first one then another parts and nets; some of them died out totally, and towns and trade stations came to default.

Today Kazakhstan accounts for more than half of India's trade with the Central Asian countries. The bilateral trade between Kazakhstan and India in 2013 reached USD 676.9 million, 28.9 per cent higher than in 2012. However, both sides agree it is modest.

Important role in the trade development and economic cooperation between Kazakhstan and India should play construction new routes from North to South. This will reduce into two or more times the distance trucking and decrease costs.

During the 11th Kazakhstan-India Inter-governmental Commission that took place in Astana on April 24-25 both sides agreed to consider broadening the cooperation in production and development of oil and gas fields in Kazakhstan.

India expressed readiness to participate in the projects both as a sole developer and as a consortium partner. Kazakhstan offered to India to explore the Caspian Abai oil block.

Both sides agreed to consider the possibilities of expanding cooperation in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons in Kazakhstan.

Indian experts have proposed to consider the possibility of cooperation in the field of renewable energy, as well as atomic energy for peaceful purposes.

Both countries are interested to increase tourism cooperation and further development of cooperation in science and technology.

Kazakhstan's relations with India have always been warm and friendly. Bilateral relations between Astana and Delhi are based on equal partnership, mutual respect and understanding. The year by year maturing ties between the two countries show great potential, which has everything to once again bring the Kazakhstan-India relations to a new level of cooperation.

Establishing new contacts, the signing of the regular large-scale projects demonstrates the progressive development of bilateral mutually beneficial cooperation.

The World Heritage Committee's 38th session was launched last June 15. The nine-day meeting will continue until June 25.

UNESCO is responsible in overseeing and granting World Heritage status to sites that have significant cultural and natural impact worldwide. (ANI)