Tehran – In his encounter with Pakistani counterpart with Iranian Minister of Culture Abbas Salehi, bystander at the Asian Cultural Cooperation Forum (ACCF 2025), held on Thursday in Hong Kong, he highlighted the importance of strengthening cultural, artistic, media and tourism collaborations between culture, arts, media and tourism collaborations between two neighbouring countries.
Salehi highlighted the rich historical and deep cultural and religious ties shared by Iran and Pakistan. He said the relationship between the two countries is rooted in the bonds of ancient civilizations and shared religious beliefs that provide valuable opportunities for joint cultural projects and initiatives.
He emphasized that Iran has diverse opportunities in the historical, cultural, natural and health sector. This can be promoted to foreign audiences who ignore media, joint documentaries, cultural exhibitions and academic exchanges, especially in Pakistan.
Salehi recognised the importance of Pakistan’s Persian status and emphasized that the people of this country view Persian as not just a second language but an integral part of their cultural identity. He praised the Pakistani government’s efforts to support and strengthen the Persian chair at the university.
He further sought the development of bilateral cultural interactions through collaborative artworks, active participation of artists in local festivals, and the creation of shared exhibition spaces.
Aurangzeb Khan Kich, federal minister of Pakistan’s national heritage and culture, thanked the proposals presented by Iran and confirmed that Persians were the main language of the subcontinent before colonization and played an important role in communicating religious and cultural concepts, including the introduction of Islam into the region.
He said the deep historical ties and true love of the Pakistani people for Iran are valuable assets to expand cultural relations between the two countries.
He reaffirmed that Iran is a brother country and that Pakistan welcomes all Iranian cultural activists, artists and tourists, and promotes an increased cultural presence through various platforms, including festivals, exhibitions, joint arts and education projects.
Emphasizing a joint documentary project with Turkey on shared cultural elements, he said similar projects should also be established between the two Islamic countries, given the deeper cultural and civilized relationships between Iran and Pakistan compared to Turkey.
He expressed his preparation for his cooperation, welcoming the participation of Iranian artists, writers and cultural figures in many festivals and exhibitions held in Pakistan, highlighting the many opportunities for cultural and artistic collaboration that could be effectively revitalized and expanded through the active involvement of cultural communities in both countries.
sab/