September 10 :
In the wake of the Cultural Property Agreement's signature, the United States Consul General in Chennai, Chris Hodges, has arranged a five-day program on antiquities trafficking prevention in partnership with the governments of Tamil Nadu, India, and Nepal. The scheduled dates for the 5-day training are September 9–13.
The US Consul General in Chennai launched the ceremony with the words, "this agreement is about respecting our ancestors, it's about respecting our history, it's about respecting our heritage, and it's about respecting one another as friends and partners."
In his remarks to the press, he emphasized that the Cultural Property arrangement, which was signed on July 26 by US Ambassador to India Eric Garcetti and Secretary of the Indian Ministry of Culture Govind Mohan, is the foundation of this arrangement.
As promised in the joint statement following their meeting in June 2023, this event is the result of nearly two years of hard work by specialists from both nations and satisfies President Joe Biden's and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's commitment to strengthen cooperation to preserve cultural heritage.
A debt of gratitude is due to everyone whose hard work has brought us to this morning's workshop on cultural preservation and antiquities. As Hodges put it, "this brings together experts and expertise from India, Nepal, and the US to talk about how we can build an architecture to preserve and celebrate our culture and heritage and how we can work together to make sure those pieces and that heritage are respected and honored." The ultimate goal is to create a structure that can do just that.
In addition, he stressed that the two nations will now work together to protect India's rich cultural history, saying that this agreement represents a fresh start.
Ambassador Garcetti and Cultural Secretary Mohan just signed the Cultural Property Agreement, upon which this is based. Thus, this week's workshop commencement serves as an opportunity to commemorate both our accomplishment and the signing of this cultural property agreement, symbolizing our collective commitment to safeguarding India's rich and varied legacy. In addition, it marks the beginning of a shared commitment to sharing information, honoring and protecting our heritage, and collaborating in various capacities to ensure its protection and respect, according to Hodges.
Additionally, I mentioned this in my remarks. Both this training and our relationship have taught me the importance of respect. In addition to honoring our forefathers, our history, our legacy, and each other as friends and business partners, this collaboration and agreement is about preserving all of the aforementioned.
"All of the consulates are hugely proud to be partners with our Indian friends," the US consul general said, adding to the general's expression of joy.
"So I as the Consul General here in Chennai, and all of Mission India, our embassy in New Delhi, Ambassador Garcetti leading our efforts, and all of the consulates are hugely proud to be partners with our Indian friends in preserving and celebrating this amazing culture," Hodges added.
