A senior Kuwaiti official called Wednesday for more international assistance through technology support and training programs to increase the strength of the gulf country in heritage protection.

As a crude oil giant, Kuwait has no financial problems in heritage preservation, but is short of experience and expertise in this regard, said Abdulrazzak M. Al-Nafisi, Kuwait's permanent deputy to UNESCO, at the 28th World Heritage Committee Conference, which ended Wednesday in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

Though Kuwait does not yet have a site on the world heritage list, it has been enhancing efforts in heritage protection by enacting related laws and regulations, and launching programs to train professionals, said Al-Nafisi.

Al-Nafisi also urged developing nations to increase their awareness in heritage protection, while referring to the fact that full awareness and advanced technology help developed nations, especially those in Europe, account for nearly half of the sites inscribed on the world heritage list.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 8, 2004)