TEHRAN – Iranian Tourism Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi Amiri said he is proud of Tajikistan’s unwavering love for Iran and the Persian language.
“Throughout my years of government service, I have traveled to many countries. However, my trip to Tajikistan was different and extraordinary for many reasons.”
In a recent memo published in Persian on Sunday, the minister also wrote about the efforts taken to promote tourism and cultural ties between the two countries.
Salehi Amiri’s memo refers to his recent visit to Tajikistan, which hosted a cultural and economic delegation also led by Iranian President Massoud Pezeshkian.
The English translation of the Minister’s memo is below:
From the moment we arrived in Tajikistan, my fellow travelers and I felt a deep sense of pride due to the Tajik people’s unwavering love for Iran and the Persian language. From the beautiful Persian dialect to the street names and statues of great figures from Iran’s rich cultural heritage adorning every corner, everything touched the hearts of those who cherish Iran’s culture and civilization. .
During this trip, I realized that it is no coincidence that the boundaries of land are called “karamul” (domain) in Persian. In fact, unlike other countries and civilizations, we Persian speakers consider the boundaries of our civilization not in terms of spheres of control, but in terms of where our language is heard and where our people’s daily lives flow.
Understanding this, it is important to understand why, in the midst of tragic news of wars and conflicts around the world, this very visiting poetry reading event by the presidents of Iran and Tajikistan is suddenly being held by many people from various political and political standpoints. You can see why it caught the attention of millions of Persian speakers. Ideological trends on social media.
Therefore, I believe that despite the difficulties of the past few years, this common history and identity has united the Persian-speaking countries. This rich cultural and historical asset presents a unique opportunity for our officials to expand the relationship between our two countries, take full advantage of our capabilities to strengthen each other, and foster lasting economic cooperation. We provide. On the other hand, ignoring this common history and identity will lead to the estrangement of both countries, resulting in not only the loss of culture but also the rich economic opportunities of their peoples.
In line with this strategy, the Iranian president and government decided ahead of this visit to lift visa requirements for all Tajik citizens in order to facilitate the expansion of bilateral relations. This constructive step was highly appreciated by the Government of Tajikistan, and the President of Tajikistan (Emomali) Rahmon, in the presence of Dr. Pezeshkian, announced the government’s decision to exempt Iranians from visas and to provide all Iranians with access to Tajikistan. invited to visit.
With this important achievement in mind, my colleagues from the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and I set the goals for this trip. Based on this, in a meeting with the Minister of Culture of Tajikistan, a memorandum of understanding was signed with the aim of increasing the number of tourists between the two countries from 8,000 to 100,000.
In addition, in two meetings with the Minister of Culture of Tajikistan, an agreement was reached to jointly hold festivals based on common historical rituals such as Nowruz, and a decision was made to cooperate in the restoration and preservation of historical sites and ruins in Tajikistan. I did.
Another positive outcome of this visit was the reopening of the Persian Language Institute in Tajikistan, which had been closed for seven years due to political reasons. Many prominent scholars from both countries deeply regretted the institute’s closure.
In conclusion, the pleasant experiences of this memorable trip were so many that, as our beloved Hafez said, “it is impossible to tell it in one letter”. However, I would like readers of this memo to view this account from a cultural perspective rather than a regular administrative report. As I said at the beginning of this note, I see the outcome of this visit in a completely different light and am convinced that pursuing the signed agreement will open new horizons for the peoples of both Iran and Tajikistan. I am. Once again, as inhabitants of the Persian-speaking realm, we can celebrate together the expansion of our common cultural history.
morning