TEHRAN (IRNA) - – Iran cultural attaché in Bulgaria said in Sofia on Tuesday that Islamic Republic of Iran Embassy has donated 32 books on Iran and Islam translated into Bulgarian National Library, with which “Iran Corner is opened in that library.
The move was made on the 125th anniversary of establishment of Iran-Bulgaria diplomatic relations, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the two nations’ cultural relations.
Present in the opening ceremony of the “Iran Corner” in Bulgaria National Library there were Iran’s Ambassador Mohammad-Javad Rasouli-Mahallati, Embassy’s Cultural attaché Javad Amini-Manesh, and Head of Bulgaria National Library Associate Professor Krasimira Aleksandrova.
The 32 books gifted to the library include works introducing the Iranian great personalities, Iran’s tourism attractions, the Glorious Qur’an, a book on peaceful coexistence of followers of different religions in Iran, and a book on Persian Gulf’s identity in historical maps.
Ms. Aleksandrova, the head of the Bulgaria National Library congratulated the 125th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties of the two countries, expressing delight about the bilateral cultural interaction and cooperation between the two countries’ national libraries.
She appreciated the Iranian cultural attaché for opening the “Iran Corner” in her country’s national library, considering gifting a manuscript of selected holy verses of the Glorious Qur’an to that library as a sign of the two countries’ deep friendly relation.
Ambassador Rasoul Mahallati, too, referring to the old relations of the two countries, reiterated, “The cultural, linguistic, and racial commonalties between the two countries and nations, and translation of numerous books from Persian to Bulgarian, as well as the existence of over 1,000 words in the Bulgarian language with Persian root, are strong reasons for the proximity between the two cultures.”
Iran’s ambassador to Bulgaria emphasized that the cooperation between the National Library of Iran and that of Bulgaria need to be extended and said that the arrangements for the visit of the head of the Bulgarian National Library of Iran in near future are all made.
Also present in the ceremony there were the ambassadors of Syria, Algeria and Pakistan, as well as the head of Iran Desk at the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry, the head of Iranology and Persian Language Group of Sofia University, the Persian language students and professors at that university, the officials of the Bulgarian National Library and the enthusiasts of the two countries’ ancient cultures.