ROME (AP) — Italy's hills of Conegliano and Valdobbiadene, home to the world-famous sparkling wine Prosecco, have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage list.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee, meeting in Baku, Azerbaijan, on Sunday congratulated Italy and its Prosecco region, located in the northeastern Veneto region.

Prosecco has become the most popular Italian wine abroad, with its exports seen rising by a record 21% in 2019 in foreign markets.

Italy's foreign ministry and agriculture minister Gian Marco Centinaio welcomed the news, saying "this is a historic day for Veneto and for Italy as a whole."

Italy applied for world heritage status for Prosecco last year but the bid had failed by a few votes.