On 22 February, ICCROM Director General Aruna Francesca Maria Gujral had the honour of welcoming HE Olga Maria Pérez Tuna, Ambassador of Guatemala to Italy, and Ministro Consigliere Cecilia Cáceres Valdez to ICCROM HQ. This gathering allowed us to explore opportunities to strengthen our cooperation towards our shared commitment to conserving cultural heritage.
ICCROM and Guatemala, a Member State since 1975, are mutually enthusiastic about capacity building, knowledge sharing and promotion of regional development as fundamental elements for well-being, progress and sustainable development. Yesterday's meeting reaffirmed our long-standing partnership and focused on updated strategies to strengthen our joint efforts.
Our discussions focused on ways to enhance cooperation through practical measures, such as hosting interns from Guatemalan institutions and exchanging technical advice for the advancement of knowledge on cultural heritage. We enjoyed exploring historical materials from ICCROM's archives related to our long history of collaboration with Guatemala, such as training activities and Guatemalan heritage professionals involved in raising awareness of conservation strategies.
We sincerely thank Ambassador Pérez Tuna and Ministro Consigliere Cáceres Valdez for their visit and look forward to strengthening our cooperation with Guatemala and advancing our common goals.