Spain's permanent delegate ambassador to UNESCO, José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, and the president of the Government of the Balearic Islands, Margalida Prohens, visited the Talayotic site of
Torralba d'en Salort today as the "final push" for Menorca's candidacy for UNESCO World Heritage status.
The 45th World Heritage Committee will be held from tomorrow in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), although
Menorca could receive official recognition between the 17th and 19th of September.
Prohens and Uribes made the visit accompanied by the president of the Consell Insular de Menorca, Adolfo Vilafranca, among other authorities.
"We will meet in Riyadh with the firm conviction that we will return with good news and be able to celebrate the fact that Talayotic Menorca is now a World Heritage Site," said Prohens, who pointed out that after the
favourable report from ICOMOS there should be no obstacles to achieving this.
For his part, Vilafranca stated that "this visit reinforces Talayotic Menorca, a candidacy that began in 2009, a project of all Menorca and all Menorcans. The proclamation is just the starting point and we will provide the Talayotic Menorca Agency with more resources to boost management and research".
Group photo (left to right): Jaime Reurer, insular director of Cultural Affairs; Joan Simonet, conseller of Agriculture of the GOIB; Adolfo Vilafranca, president of the CIM; José Luís Benejam, mayor of Alaior; Margalida Prohens, president of the GOIB; José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, Spanish ambassador to UNESCO; Isaac Sastre de Diego, director general of Cultural Heritage and Fine Arts of the Ministry of Cultural Affairs; Simón Gornés, conseller of Environment of the CIM; Joan Pons Torres, conseller of Cultural Affairs of the CIM.