SAEDNEWS: Reza Salehi Amiri said that collaboration with Armenia is based on memorandums of understanding that include holding handicraft exhibitions, registering tangible and intangible works with UNESCO, and educating the people in the field of handicrafts.
Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts Reza Salehi Amiri says the Islamic Republic of Iran has entered a new phase of bilateral relations with Armenia by implementing operational measures in the field of cultural cooperation.
Salehi Amiri made the remarks on Sunday during a meeting with Armenia's Minister of Education, Science, Culture, and Sports, Zhanna Andreasyan, who is accompanying a delegation on a two-day official visit to Iran.
He said that the two neighbors have been collaborating based on memorandums of understanding that include cooperation between the National Museums, holding handicraft exhibitions in Tehran and Yerevan, registering jointly tangible and intangible works with UNESCO, and educating the people in the field of handicrafts.
“Out of the 400 registered handicrafts in the world, 300 exist in Iran, and 573 people are engaged officially and one million housewives unofficially in producing handicrafts,” the minister said, noting that “Iran’s handicraft exports in 2024 were at $500 million”.
Stressing that convergence and peace between religions start from holy places, he underscored that Iranian cultural heritage officials restored most of the churches in the country and registered them with UNESCO, and are ready to restore the Qajar-era Blue Mosque in Armenia.
Salehi Amiri also expressed his readiness to hold joint training workshops for artists of the two countries in the fields of miniatures, pottery, and restoration of works.
Referring to people-to-people relations, he said that there was a 53 percent increase in tourists visiting from across the border. "A cultural event in Persepolis, which was attended by more than a hundred musicians from Armenia, received a good response in Iran."
For her part, the Armenian minister thanked Iran for its efforts to bolster bilateral relations in all fields, including culture, tourism, and handicrafts.
Andreasyan said that Armenia is also looking to hold a road show, which includes a presentation of the country’s tourism potential.
