TEHRAN, Dec �31 (Bernama) -- The cultural artistic council of Persian-speaking nations was set up based on a joint statement signed by Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyyed Mohammad Hosseini and his Afghan counterpart, Makhdoom Raheen, Iran's IRNA reported.
The council will also help consolidate cultural and artistic ties between the two states and institutionalise joint programmes and policies.
It was also agreed that efforts should be made to invite other countries to join the council.
The two ministers also underlined the need for strengthening cultural and artistic bonds between the two nations, developing joint scientific, cultural and educational programmes, introducing common literature and culture to the world, supporting non-governmental organisations, promoting national and indigenous arts and reviving joint rituals.
Hosseini described ties between the two countries as ever-increasing and profound and underlined development of cultural interactions through diplomatic channels.
"Promoting cultural and artistic activities will create further convergence among Persian-speaking states," he added.
Hosseini also voiced Iran's readiness to hold cultural weeks and perform various cultural and artistic programmes in Ghazni, which was designated as cultural capital of the Islamic world in 2013.
Stating that Persian-speaking countries, especially Iran, Afghanistan and Tajikistan are the main inheritors of the Persian language, Raheen hoped that the language would serve as a means for promoting friendship, convergence and fraternity.
The Afghan information and culture minister hailed Iran's high cultural and artistic capacities and urged Hosseini to make available Iran's experience in the fields of culture and art to his country's artists.

By Bernama

 

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