KATHMANDU: US Ambassador to Nepal Peter W. Bodde on Friday announced two Ambassador's Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP) awards, totalling USD 320,000, to the Kathmandu Valley Preservation Trust (KVPT) to restore the cultural heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley that were damaged by the devastating April 25 earthquake.

"The grants will support structural assessments, stabilisation, and restoration of historic sites in Lalitpur and Kathmandu that were damaged by the earthquake  on April 25, 2015," said the Ambassador.

The grants have been awarded to the KVPT to help restore sites in Patan and Kathmandu Durbar Squares.

The sites were previously restored with support from AFCP. The grants were an important part in the recovery of Nepal's treasured cultural heritage sites.

“For more than two decades, the US embassy has supported efforts to mitigate the impact of natural disasters in Nepal,” said Ambassador Bodde at the event.

“These restoration initiatives in Kathmandu Durbar Square, and here in Patan Durbar Square, will help preserve some of the world’s most significant intact historic urban sites.”

The proper restoration and reconstruction of Nepal's ancient and historic sites would take time. They recognised the fact and continued to respect and support Nepal's cultural heritage recovery priorities and goals, said Martin Perschler, the program Director of the US State Department's AFCP.

The Ambassador's Fund has been established by the US Department of State, at the request of the US Congress for the cultural preservation. The Fund supports the preservation of ancient and historic sites, museum collections, and forms of traditional cultural expression in more than 120 countries. The AFCP has invested over $2.2 million in the preservation of Nepal's cultural heritage since 2003, with fifteen projects already completed.