BELGRADE — Serbia and China on May 23 reached a framework agreement to boost cooperation in the area of cultural heritage by exchanging experts and organizing seminars.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in the area of protection and cultural heritage was signed between Liu Yuzhu, administrator of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage (SACH) of China and Vladan Vukosavljevic, Serbian minister of culture and media, at the building of the Ministry of Culture in Belgrade.

A bilateral meeting was held before the signing of the MOU.

Vukosavljevic said at a news conference after the signing ceremony that the MOU represents a really important step for the future cooperation between the two countries in the area of the protection of cultural heritage, as it envisages exchange between experts in the area of cultural heritage, joint programs, education and exchange of information, cooperation on restoration and conservation of cultural heritage, as well as exchange and educational activities in the area of archaeology.

“This will create conditions for our cultural institutions such as the Institute for Protection of Cultural Monuments of Serbia, National Museum, Central Institute for Conservation and others, to exchange experts in direct cooperation with colleagues from China and organize seminars together,” Vukosavljevic said.

Liu said after the meeting with Vukosavljevic that they both agreed this memorandum will be a good basis for making cooperation in this area more concrete, adding that the Chinese delegation already discussed certain opportunities for cooperation with their colleagues in Serbia.

“Although this is a framework agreement, I believe that it will be a good foundation for the future cooperation of our two countries in this area ... I believe it can contribute for the people of our two nations to get to know each other better,” Liu said.

Liu arrived in Serbia together with a delegation of SACH and other cultural institutions from China to participate in the first China-Central and Eastern European (CEE) Countries Cultural Heritage Forum that started in Belgrade on May 22.