TEHRAN — A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and the Enforcement of Imam Khomeini Decree (EIKO) with the aim of strengthening sustainable employment through handicrafts and tourism.
According to Milas Alia (CHTN), the memorandum signing ceremony took place on Tuesday in the presence of Minister of Culture and Heritage Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri and EIKO Director Parviz Fattah.
Salehi-Amiri touched on the importance of strengthening cooperation with EIKO and said that the issue of deprivation was a key topic of discussion among revolutionary leaders. “If you don’t pay attention to this area, you don’t pay attention to the ideals of the revolution.”
The Minister said, “One of our slogans is the continuity and vitality of village identity, and we must develop plans to stop migration and strengthen villages.”
Referring to the handicraft sector’s ability to create jobs, Salehi-Amiri said, “We are seeking reverse migration and preservation of village identity, and handicrafts can help with this goal.”
Highlighting the development of cooperation with Mosta Zafan Foundation, Imam Khomeini Relief Committee (IKRC) and EIKO, he said that ecotourism, along with handicrafts, is one of the most important capacities to create employment in villages.
Salehi Amiri pointed out the role of handicrafts and tourism in creating sustainable employment and called for strengthening cooperation in the field of marketing and export of handicrafts.
Noting that there are 3,000 ecotourism hubs in the country, he said, “Our slogan is every village is an ecotourism hub and we have tried to revive handicrafts in every village.”
She also said, “Although 80% of handicraft activists are women, our main issue is sales and marketing, and we ask EIKO to play a role in the field of handicraft marketing, domestic sales and export.”
Foreign Minister Salehi Amiri said that Iran is one of the leading countries in the handicraft sector with more than 299 active handicraft sectors and needs to develop plans to develop sales and exports.
He said, “One of our important capabilities is halal tourism. There are more than 57 Muslim countries in our country, and halal tourism is a great capability for Iran, which can be developed with the participation of EIKO.”
KD