MNA � Iran Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Organization (CHTHO) Chief Ali Asghar Moonesan said Iran and Japan will soon be organizing joint 'cultural nights' events in a bid to expand cultural cooperation.

Cultural cooperation and interaction between governments and nations can help strengthen peace and friendship in the global arena, he added.

He made the remarks in his meeting with the Japanese Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran Mitsuo Saito and said, �the two countries of Iran and Japan have established very close and age-old relations with each other which date back to many years ago."

Various cultural programs can be held jointly between Iran and Japan, he said, adding, �organizing cultural nights between Iran and Japan is one of the programs that we are interested in organizing."

Moonesan added, �Iran's palace museums such as Golestan, Sa�dabad and Niavaran are ready for organizing cultural ceremonies such as Japan Cultural Nights.�

Joint museum cooperation and also planning for the development of tourism and exchange of tourists between the two countries are other programs that are pursued in earnest by the two countries, he stated.

For his part, Japanese Ambassador to the Islamic Republic of Iran Mitsuo Saito pointed to the significance of cultural relations between countries and said, �Japan is ready to expand its cultural cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran eagerly.�