At the request of the United States Embassy in Uzbekistan, Argus Cultural Property Consultants, a leader in the field of cultural heritage protection, concluded two well-attended workshops in Tashkent and Samarkand in May aimed at strengthening cultural property and heritage site protection in Uzbekistan. 

“We created these workshops to discuss best practices and case studies in the broad arena of cultural property protection, with the goal of fostering cooperation and information sharing between diverse participants,” said Dr. Catherine P. Foster, an Argus founding partner and former official with the U.S. Department of State Cultural Heritage Center. 

Among those attending the workshops were Uzbek law enforcement personnel, museum staff, heritage site managers, academic researchers, and community leaders. Argus worked closely with Uzbekistan’s Cultural Heritage Agency, the Law Enforcement Academy, and Silk Road International University of Tourism and Cultural Heritage. 

The workshops featured presentations by Argus partners and Uzbek experts, mixed with vigorous small group discussions, all focused on increasing participants’ knowledge and awareness of the many challenges in cultural property protection, as well as furthering practical skills and ideas for securing heritage sites and collections. 

Argus Cultural Property Consultants is a global risk management firm specializing in the protection and preservation of fine art, antiquities, antiques, high-end collectibles, and heritage sites. Our principals are recognized U.S. cultural heritage and law enforcement experts, having worked on art crime investigations, prosecutions, and site security initiatives in the United States and overseas for decades as leaders in the FBI Art Crime Program, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the U.S. Department of State. 

The press release from the U.S. Embassy in Uzbekistan is available here: https://uz.usembassy.gov/united-states-and-uzbekistan-partner-to-protect-cultural-heritage-combat-illicit-trafficking/