The Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Seyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, and the South Korean Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism, Choi Hwi-yoon, reached an agreement on closer interaction in the fields of cultural heritage, tourism, handicrafts, and creative industries. This occurred during a meeting held on the sidelines of the 48th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Busan.
According to Iran, the two ministers discussed expanding bilateral partnership through a comprehensive framework. This framework covers cultural heritage, tourism, handicrafts, digital museums, smart tourism, creative sectors, and new technologies.
Salehi-Amiri noted that the hosting of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee by South Korea demonstrates its contribution to the preservation of cultural heritage and cultural management. He expressed hope that Iran's nomination for the Alamut Cultural Landscape would be included in the UNESCO World Heritage List during the current session, which would bring the country's heritage sites to thirty.
The Iranian minister stated that the country has identified over one million historical sites, of which more than 43,000 are registered nationally, in addition to dozens of UNESCO World Heritage sites and 58 sites on the UNESCO Tentative List. Salehi-Amiri added that the Islamic Republic aims to develop a joint plan with South Korea to strengthen cooperation in the fields of cultural heritage preservation, tourism, handicrafts, digital technologies, electronic archives, and smart tourism.
Furthermore, Iran is interested in expanding cooperation in creative industries and utilizing South Korea's experience in areas such as film, music, animation, video games, digital content production, and artificial intelligence. Salehi-Amiri emphasized that recent military attacks by the United States and the Israeli regime have damaged several historical monuments in Iran, but Iran will continue restoration work based on its scientific and technical capabilities.
Regarding tourism, the minister stated that recent regional events have temporarily affected Iran's tourism sector but expressed confidence in the industry's renewed growth. He invited South Korean citizens to visit Iran and called for enhanced exchanges between the peoples. Salehi-Amiri also invited Choi to Tehran and proposed signing a comprehensive memorandum of understanding covering cultural heritage, tourism, handicrafts, and broader cultural cooperation. He also invited South Korea to participate in Iran's international tourism exhibition, stating Iran's readiness to participate in specialized exhibitions in South Korea.
For his part, Choi welcomed the Iranian proposals, stating that both countries should deepen cooperation in culture, tourism, handicrafts, creative industries, and intercultural exchange. He noted that the foundations for cultural interaction between Iran and South Korea have existed for a long time, and further planning could strengthen bilateral ties.
Choi described Iranian civilization and history as part of humanity's common heritage and stressed that protecting historical and cultural sites is a shared responsibility of the international community. He also expressed regret over the damage to some Iranian historical monuments during the recent conflict and expressed hope for the continuation of conservation, restoration, and public display of these sites as stability returns.
Choi added that joint handicraft exhibitions, cultural programs, and artistic events can strengthen bilateral cultural relations, and that Seoul is ready to expand cooperation in tourism, sports, and cultural exchange. He thanked the Iranian delegation for visiting South Korea and called for continuous dialogue between governments and the practical implementation of measures proposed at the meeting.
The Chairman of the Tourism Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Abdulaziz Akkulov, held a meeting with the Ambassador of the Institute of the Islamic Republic of Iran in Uzbekistan, Mohammad Ali Eskandari.
During this meeting, the parties discussed in detail the further strengthening of partnership between the two states in the field of tourism, aimed at effectively utilizing existing potential and increasing mutual tourist flows.
In particular, the participants exchanged views on promoting the tourism opportunities of both countries, increasing the number of tourist trips, expanding direct air connections, as well as developing joint work in the field of medical tourism.
The Iranian side put forward a proposal to simplify visa procedures for Iranian citizens. Furthermore, an agreement was reached on more active promotion of Uzbekistan's tourism potential in the Iranian market and continuous increase in mutual tourist exchanges, based on the rich historical and cultural heritage of the two countries.
The Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Seyed Abbas Salehi, arrived at Bishkek airport on Thursday, July 16, to participate in the 23rd meeting of culture ministers of the member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).
Kyrgyzstan's Deputy Minister of Culture, Salkyn Sarnogoyev, welcomed Salehi and emphasized the significance of the Iranian minister's participation in the 23rd SCO culture ministers meeting. According to her, the planned programs for the Iranian minister within the framework of the summit will serve as a basis for developing bilateral cooperation between Iran and Kyrgyzstan.
In turn, Salehi expressed satisfaction with his participation in the summit, stressing the need to strengthen cultural and artistic interaction between the two countries. He expressed hope that during this trip, prerequisites would be created for developing cultural partnership through the signing of cultural exchange agreements, participation in the summit, as well as holding bilateral meetings and negotiations with Kyrgyz officials.
During his visit to the Ata-Beyit Memorial Complex (Mausoleum of Our Fathers) near Bishkek, Salehi paid tribute to the renowned writer Chingiz Aitmatov and other prominent figures of the country's culture. Salehi noted his forty-year acquaintance with the personality and work of Chingiz Aitmatov and added that he had read Persian translations of the works of this distinguished author.
Visiting various parts of Aitmatov's historical house, which now functions as a museum in his honor, Salehi familiarized himself with the lifestyle and memorial sites of this cultural figure. Chingiz Aitmatov (1928–2008) was a Kyrgyz author who primarily wrote in Russian but also in Kyrgyz, and is considered one of the most famous figures in Kyrgyz literature.
As a bilingual and bicultural writer, Aitmatov created his prose and plays in both his native Kyrgyz and Russian languages, and his works have been translated into more than 150 languages. In the Russian press, he was characterized as a 'magical socialist realist' because he was able to combine elements of Kyrgyz folk tales and epics with formally traditional Russian realism.
The 23rd meeting of culture ministers of the SCO member states is taking place in Kyrgyzstan from July 16 to 20. This forum is the main mechanism for multilateral cooperation in the field of culture, focusing on intercultural exchange, as well as the preservation and promotion of rich material and intangible cultural heritage.
According to the Agreement between the governments of the SCO member states on cooperation in the field of culture from 2007, the parties interact in areas such as music, theater, and fine arts; cinema; archival, library, and museum affairs; protection of cultural heritage sites; folk crafts and decorative and applied arts; amateur, variety, and circus arts; as well as other forms of creative activity.
