Tehran, May 11, IRNA � Italian culture minister's envoy to the 29th Tehran International Book Fair said on Wednesday that Iran is a strategic country in the field of promoting culture of peace in the Middle East and the entire world.

Yeziana Chereti, also representing Italian publishers in the ongoing event, told IRNA Wednesday that Iran boasts of a rich culture and civilization.

History has it that the Iranians have never started a war in the recent decade and they always served as harbinger of peace and friendship in the Middle East.

Those who call Iranians as warmongers are not aware of their kind nature or they are seeking to challenge the peace-loving nation, she said.

As various Iranian tribes with Azari, Kurd and Baluch are living together peacefully, they also have good ties with their neighbors and other countries, she said, noting that aggression and onslaught are never found in the country's history.

Maintaining that the Iranian and Italian nations have numerous cultural commonalities, Chereti said that cultural and political exchanges in recent decades have contributed to the commonalities.

Tehran International Book Fair opened in Shahr-e Aftab (sun city), downtown Tehran, on May 4 and will work until May 14.
By IRNA