The Bulgarian branch of ICOMOS and the US Embassy to Sofia announced their plans for the establishment of bilateral Bulgarian-US commission on safeguarding the cultural heritage of the country.

The main aim of the commission will be to work on raising awareness on the importance of cultural heritage and exchanging experience between Bulgarian and US experts in the field.

President of the Bulgarian National Committee of the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) Stefan Belishki said that the great advantage of such a commission would be its professionalism and the exchange of experience.

The discussion on the exact way of functioning of the commission, which had nothing to do with political intentions, was forthcoming, daily Dnevnik reports.

The debates were in the direction of improving both practices in the policy of safeguarding cultural heritage and the fulfillment of practical projects.

The Counselor for Public Affairs at the US Embassy Elizabeth Fitzsimmons said that more Americans should learn about the Bulgarian contribution to world history.

Fitzsimmons clarified that it was decided for the new body to be established as a sub-commission to the Fulbright Commission.

She pointed to the success of the Fulbright Commission, which has promoted educational exchange between the two countries for more than twenty years.

The commission had the potential of not only presenting Bulgarian culture to a broader audience in the USA, but also held the opportunity to bring great economic benefits to the country.