ISLAMABAD: The Japanese government has agreed to provide a new grant assistance worth 48.8 million yen (equivalent to about Rs101.6 million) for enhancement of the antiquities conservation and exhibition capacity of Taxila Museum.

An agreement to this effect was signed in Islamabad on Friday.

Ambassador of Japan Wada Mitsuhiro, chief representative of Japan International cooperation Agency (JICA) Kinoshita Yasumitsu, Secretary Economic Affairs Dr Kazim Niaz and other officials from both the countries attended the signing ceremony.The project aims to promote understanding ofthehistory and cultural heritage of Gandharan Buddhism among domestic and overseas visitors and will do so by providing the Taxila Museum with the necessary equipment for improving its capacity for the conservation and exhibition of historical artifacts excavated from the Gandharan ruins.

The project also aims to enrich cultural education for youths and to facilitate cultural conservation, thereby contributing to SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) Goal 11 (Sustainable cities and communities).

The Taxila Museum is located in the middle of ancient Gandharan Buddhist ruins inTaxila, a Unesco World Heritage site, with Gandharan arts of great historical and cultural value. The museum preserves and exhibits the precious artifactsexcavatedinthis area.

As of now, only approximately 30 per cent of the ruins at this site has been excavated and the excavationisstillunderprogress.

However, there are insufficient facilities and equipment to display the increasing number of excavated works in the museum as well as to prevent these artifacts from deteriorating.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, Ambassador Mitsuhiro stated thatthe Japanese government recognises the importance of cultural heritage and attachesgreat value to its preservation and supports Pakistan in this area as well.

`The ancient Gandhara civilisation is very close to the heart of Japanese people and this project would lead to attract more tourists to Pakistan in the future,` he said.

JICA chief representative Kinoshita said Taxila Museum has its own cultural identity and monumental historical significance.

`We hope that the upgraded Taxila Museum will contribute in keeping the cultural heritage of Pakistan intact and making those accessible to researchers, scholars and students who would like to reconnect with the past and appreciate its monumental significance,` he said.