The Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia expanded to 26 member, partner and observer states on Sunday, with its council approving Egypt as a partner state and Kazakhstan as an observer state at its fourth meeting in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province.
Established in 2023, the alliance is a specialized intergovernmental organization dedicated to promoting cultural heritage cooperation across Asia. Initiated and led by China, it is the region's first intergovernmental institution dedicated to cultural heritage in Asia.
Hisham El-Leithy, secretary-general of Egypt's Supreme Council of Antiquities, said Egypt's accession as a partner state marked a milestone of strategic importance, reflecting the country's history of exchanges and deep civilizational ties with Asian nations.
He added that Egypt is ready to share its practical experience and achievements in cultural relics protection, actively support the alliance's objectives and goals and contribute to its future initiatives.
Aibek Sydykov, vice-minister of culture and information of Kazakhstan, said his country was pleased to join the alliance as an observer state, describing the move as an important opportunity to deepen exchanges and cooperation with Asian countries and jointly protect shared cultural heritage.
In the future, Kazakhstan will contribute to areas such as talent training, technology applications and joint research, he said.
With Egypt and Kazakhstan now on board, the meeting turned its attention from the alliance's achievements on the ground and its future priorities. Over the past year, the alliance has made steady progress in cooperation, delivering tangible results across several areas.
Rao Quan, chairman of the Council of the Alliance for Cultural Heritage in Asia and director of the National Cultural Heritage Administration, said the alliance had made significant progress toward becoming an institutionalized and standardized intergovernmental organization.
Currently, cross-border cultural heritage cooperation supported by the alliance covers more than 20 projects in over 10 countries, including Cambodia, the Maldives, Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. These projects span areas such as restoring ancient sites, joint archaeology and personnel training, effectively turning shared consensus into concrete protection efforts, said Rao.
Having completed its initial institutional setup, the alliance is now entering a new phase, he said. "Going forward, it should build stronger momentum, cooperate more effectively, and become more innovative," Rao added.
