TEHRAN — Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi Amiri conveyed a message from President Massoud Pezeshkian to Chinese President Xi Jinping, stressing the need to further strengthen bilateral relations in cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts.
The minister conveyed this message during a meeting with Chinese Culture and Tourism Minister Sun Yeli on Thursday. The meeting was held on the sidelines of the Asian Cultural Heritage Alliance’s (ACHA) 2nd General Assembly and 3rd Executive Board Meeting, which was held in Chongqing, China from November 26 to 29, IRNA reported.
“I convey Dr. Pezeshkian’s message to you and to the President of China. The President of Iran emphasizes that the economic, political and cultural relations between the two countries are already strong and that this strength should also be strengthened in the fields of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts. The hope of the Islamic Republic of Iran is that our cultural cooperation will move to a practical and deeper developed stage,” Salehi Amiri said.
He added that the two countries’ culture ministries have the necessary capabilities to strengthen relations, noting that Iran’s sustainable security and tourism capabilities could lay the foundation for deeper cooperation.
As part of continued efforts to strengthen cultural cooperation, he proposed the creation of an Asian Heritage Cooperation Framework aimed at increasing the region’s soft power.
Salehi Amiri also stressed Iran’s readiness to cooperate with China on museum technology and artificial intelligence to better showcase Iran’s rich cultural heritage.
He referred to the 55th anniversary of the establishment of official relations between Iran and China and proposed that 2026 be designated as the year of cooperation in various cultural fields.
The minister invited Chinese ministers to the Tehran International Tourism Exhibition scheduled for February and the Nowruz celebrations, which will be attended by 13 countries.
In response, Sun Yeri expressed strong support for Iran’s efforts and emphasized the possibility of expanding cooperation, especially in tourism and cultural exchanges.
Iran emphasizes Tajikistan’s civilizational and historical capabilities
At the meeting between Mr. Salehi Amiri and Minister of Culture of the Republic of Tajikistan Matrubakorn Sattlyon, held on the sidelines of the ACHA’s second general meeting in Chongqing, both sides emphasized strengthening cultural cooperation, preserving common heritage, and expanding research and tourism exchanges.
Mr. Salehi-Amiri explained the cultural capabilities of Iran and Tajikistan and the role of their common heritage in strengthening mutual relations, adding: “Based on the President’s emphasis, cooperation with Tajikistan is our priority, and I am glad that today provides us with the opportunity to open a new chapter in our cultural relations.”
At the beginning of the meeting, the prime minister formally invited Mr. Sattliyon to attend the Nowruz celebrations in Tehran, saying, “We will invite the culture and tourism ministers of the Nowruz region countries and some special guests to Tehran to attend the Nowruz ceremonies and to raise this capacity to the level of a summit in the coming years.”
Referring to the five common intangible heritage sites of Iran and Tajikistan that are registered by UNESCO, Salehi-Amiri described these elements as the capitals of civilization in both countries, saying, “Each of these heritage sites serves as a cultural link between the two countries, and we need to jointly plan their preservation and introduction.”
He pointed out the importance of protecting manuscripts, historical documents and endangered monuments, and indicated that Iran was ready to raise the idea of creating a joint mechanism for heritage preservation at the summit.
If agreed, regular meetings could be held at various ministerial and professional levels to strengthen practical cooperation avenues, such as the return of antiquities, global joint registration, and cultural counter-trafficking.
Salehi Amiri also announced that Iran is ready to provide knowledge and restoration experience to Tajikistan, and considered Tajikistan’s success in the heritage field to be Iran’s success.
He said that the institute of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage has five research institutes and 400 specialized researchers, and proposed that the first specialized conference on cultural heritage, manuscripts, archaeology, linguistics and inscription reading between Iran and Tajikistan be held in Tehran, and the second session of this conference be held in Dushanbe.
In another part of his speech, he referred to the development of tourism cooperation, saying: “We have not placed any restrictions on the expansion of tourism exchanges with Tajikistan and have promoted travel conditions by opening direct flights to Kish.”
The Minister of Culture of Tajikistan also expressed his gratitude for Iran’s invitation to the Nowruz celebrations and the preparations for the joint cultural meeting, saying, “Iran and Tajikistan are two countries and one culture. We have a common language, common roots and common understanding, which are great assets for the future of our cooperation.”
She noted that the President of Tajikistan has emphasized strengthening ties with Iran, adding: “We support all the proposals submitted by the Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage and are ready to start the first meeting of the Joint Committee on Culture during the first official visit to Tehran.”
Sattleyon also referred to the world inscription of the Cyrus Cylinder and the role of shared heritage in the cultural diplomacy of the two countries, saying: “The field of Persian language and literature must also combat cultural threats and benefit from the capabilities of the cultural research institutions of both countries.”
Iran ready to transfer experience to Maldives
Salehi-Amiri also met and discussed with Maldives Minister of Dhivehi Language and Cultural Heritage Adam Nasir Ibrahim on the sidelines of the (ACHA) Second General Assembly in Chongqing on Friday morning. At the meeting, Foreign Minister Salehi Amiri underlined Iran’s civilized position and wide potential for mutual cooperation, saying that Iran has more than one million identified historical monuments, thousands of which are on the national register. “To date, 29 tangible monuments and 26 intangible monuments have been inscribed on UNESCO’s list, and we have created preliminary registration files for 58 monuments.”
Noting Iran’s strategic priority in ocean-based tourism development, he said that Iran, which has seven coastal provinces, has launched a national project based on ocean-based economy. “This direction is based on the country’s macro policies and we are ready to contribute our scientific, research and management experience to the Maldives.”
Salehi Amiri said that Iran has strong scientific capabilities in the field of cultural heritage, adding: “Many experts in the fields of archaeology, restoration, Iranian studies and cultural studies are active in the country. We are well prepared to provide this knowledge and experience to the Maldives through joint courses, professional training and scientific projects.”
Pointing out Iran’s position in the world’s handicrafts, he continued that 299 of the 400 known handicrafts are produced in Iran. He added that holding an exhibition of Iranian handicrafts in Malé, the capital of the Maldives, could be the beginning of a new chapter in cultural and artistic cooperation between the two countries.
KD