Experts from 14 countries have assembled in Yerevan to take part in a three day scholarly panel entitled "The Preservation of the Armenian Cultural Legacy in Armenia and Overseas". Round-table participants conference will discuss the issue of protecting and preserving Armenian historical and cultural monuments located within Armenia and outside the country. Culture Minister Hasmik Poghosyan officially opened the panel conference and noted that while the issue is complex in Armenia it is much more out in the open than abroard where the threat faced by Armenian monuments is less well known. The Minister noted that, "Sadly, we must accept the fact that we respond to these issues only when our monuments face real threats." She went on to state that Armenia has recently signed on to the European Convention of Heritage Preservation which obligates the Armenian government to certain responsibilities regarding the protection of mounuments with Armenia itself. The Minister noted that, "By a variety of methods and forms we participate in events taking place overseas but due to the absence of information regarding our historical-cultural inheritance, we can't raise specific issues."