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Afghanistan's new government to restore Bamiyan Buddhas

KABUL, Sunday (AFP) Afghanistan's new government will restore the Bamiyan Buddhas, an emblem of culture destroyed by the Taliban regime, Minister of Culture and Information Raheen Makhdoom said Sunday.

The two giant statues, which date back some 1,800 years, were blown up the Taliban in March by a 20-day barrage of dynamite, rockets and tank shells that sparked international outrage. "The restoration of the Buddhas is one of our top priorities," along with the revival of the media and broadcasting sector, the minister told AFP. Makhdoom, a specialist in Afghan culture and Sufi poetry, said the new administration would hold a a seminar focusing on the statues and the restoration of the national museum which was also sacked by the Taliban.

Local and international experts would be invited to attend and help map out a plan to tackle the ambitious rebuilding projects, he said, without elaborating on how the statues might be restored.

The minister said he was waiting on "the response of UNESCO" before announcing the dates of the meeting, which should be convened "as soon as possible."

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