IRNA – Tanzanian Minister of Information, Culture, Sports and Tourism, Ali Khamis Juma, said on Monday that designation of Mashad as the cultural capital of Muslim world in 2017 will provide Iran and Tanzania with valuable opportunity to increase interaction.


Juma made the remarks in a meeting with Governor General of Khorassan Razavi Province, Alireza Rashidian, in Mashad on Monday.

The Tanzanian minister said relations between the two countries are age old and valuable and the opportunity should be used to increase interactions.

He said Tanzanian president has authorized him to use the opportunity available to promote the two-way ties.

The governor general said for his part that Iran intends to increase interaction with Islamic states.

He added that Mashad has the capacity to turn to hub of dialogue among Islamic countries and in that concern appropriate measures are under way.

Rashidian added that 27 million pilgrims, either Iranians or foreigners, visit Mashad annually and it provides the country with a valuable capacity.

He said there are more than 100 Shiia and 15 Sunni seminaries in the province as more than 302,000 university students study there.

Islamic Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ISESCO), set up by member states of the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) with 57 Islamic states as its member, has chosen Mashad as the cultural capital of Islamic world in Asia.