The Executive Director of the Regional Centre Irena Todorova and the Mayor of Yakoruda Mehmed Vaklyov signed a Memorandum of Cooperation with the common goal of safeguarding intangible cultural heritage.
“The safeguarding of cultural heritage is a particularly important part of my work, the traditions here have been continuously transmitted, and together with the UNESCO Regional Centre, with joint effort, I hope to promote the richness of our region. There is a special spirit of tolerance between different religions and communities in the town of Yakoruda, where people share their culture, they preserve it together, they celebrate together, they are connected. This environment must be safeguarded by all means, and our work with UNESCO, without doubt, will contribute. I will do my best to progress the municipality also through the development of cultural tourism, where local customs and traditional cuisine will attract tourists in the town,” said Mayor Vaklyov.
“I would like to thank the Municipality of Yakoruda and Mr. Vaklyov for their hospitality, as well as for their efforts to keep the identity of the town, namely through the safeguarding of the intangible cultural heritage,” said Todorova, Executive Director of the Regional Centre Sofia – UNESCO. She added that the youth is the key link between the power of customs and the modern world, between traditions and their contemporary interpretation.
The meeting took place during an international youth exchange under the Erasmus programme, attended by 25 people from Bulgaria, Romania, Greece, Serbia and North Macedonia. The Municipality of Yakoruda gave the participants the opportunity to immerse themselves in the living traditions of the town, and watch a traditional Yakoruda custom, a performance by the folklore ensemble of the Community Centre “Svetlina – 1907”, and taste the traditional cuisine of the region.