UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay (L) attends the launch of the project to restore Mar Mikhael train station in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay said on Wednesday the UN cultural agency would continue to back Lebanon in preserving its heritage and supporting its education sector.

On her first visit to Lebanon in five years, Azoulay met President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace and underlined UNESCO's "strong and tangible" cooperation with the country, according to a statement from the presidency.

She cited ongoing restoration projects in Beirut, including the historic Mar Mikhael train station and the Grand Theater downtown, carried out in coordination with the government and the culture ministry. "We are working to secure the necessary funding to transform these sites into cultural landmarks," she said.

Azoulay also pointed to initiatives promoting visual arts and traditional crafts in Tyre and Baalbek, as well as programs to rehabilitate damaged schools and cultural institutions.

Aoun thanked UNESCO for its support and pledged Lebanon's commitment to protecting world heritage sites. He praised UNESCO's role in education, stressing the need to invest in youth and strengthen skills in science and technology at a time when the country's schools face acute challenges. ■

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay (3rd L) lays the foundation stone for the restoration of Mar Mikhael train station in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay (3rd R, rear) hears about plans to transform Mar Mikhael train station into a cultural landmark in Beirut, Lebanon, Sept. 4, 2025. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)