Protection, restitution of cultural heritage theme for 1st G20 culture meet

Protection and restitution of cultural heritage will be the theme for the first G20 culture track meet slated to be held from February 22-25 in Madhya Pradesh's Khajuraho, a top official said on Wednesday.

Union Culture Secretary Govind Mohan, during a media interaction here, also said that the second and third meetings under this track will be held at Bhubaneswar in Odisha and Hampi in Karnataka.

Khajuraho is home to exquisite temples which are part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The temples, renowned for their sculptures, are situated in the backward Bundelkhand region of Madhya Pradesh.

"The first meeting of the G20 Culture Working Group will be held in Khajuraho in Madhya Pradesh followed by the second one in Bhubaneswar and the third one at Hampi. The location for the fourth meeting is yet to be decided," Mohan said.

Culture richness and diversity of India will be "prominently showcased" during the G2O meetings, he said.

The theme for the first meeting of the G20 Culture Working Group in Khajuraho will be protection and restitution of cultural properties, as in artefacts which have been repatriated to India over the years, the culture secretary said.

Union Culture Minister G Kishan Reddy and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan will take part in the meeting, he said.

An exhibition on this theme will also be hosted in Khajuraho as part of the event, the official said.

"We are also working on setting up a G20 museum and trying to source at least one key artefact from member nations," he said.

The G20, or Group of 20, is an intergovernmental forum of the world's major developed and developing economies.

G20 comprises Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkiye, the UK, the US, and the European Union (EU).

India assumed the presidency of the G20 on December 1 last.

Over 200 meetings at 55 locations across the country will be held in this period, culminating with a summit in September this year in Delhi.