TEHRAN -- The head of the Islamic Culture and Communication Organization Mehdi Imanipour has said that the joint cultural exchanges program with Serbia is being finalized to be signed by the two sides soon.
Imanipour made the comments on a visit to Serbia at the head of a delegation to participate in the third round of religious dialogue between Islam and Christianity of the Orthodox Church, in a meeting with Maja Gojkovic, Serbia’s deputy prime minister and minister of culture and information.
A number of other officials from Iran and the European country also attended the meeting.
Gojkovic attached great importance to the visit of the Iranian delegation for religious dialogue and announced the readiness of her ministry to cooperate in all areas with Iran.
Imanipour, for his part, said, “One of the important responsibilities of the Islamic Culture and Communications Organization is to draw up agreements that become laws in the Iranian parliament and we implement programs with different countries within the framework of these agreements.”
“We have been present in Serbia for more than 30 years, and with the cooperation of the Ministry of Culture, good activities have been done throughout all these years, but there are still many areas to expand relations in order for the people of the two countries to get acquainted with each other more,” the Iranian cultural official said.
“The cultural exchange program with Serbia is being finalized to be signed by the two sides soon,” he said.
Imanipour pointed to the negative image that Western mainstream media project of Iran as wrong. He said the development of tourism cooperation between the two countries can lead to greater information about and acquaintance with the realities in Iran.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran is ready to accept art groups, cinematic collaborations, joint film production, and active participation in book fairs, and the continuation of religious dialogues, and the holding of a cultural month or year programs,” he said.
Imanipour touched on Iranian artistic and historical works in various museums and cultural centers in Serbia, saying an exhibition should be held at the National Museum in Belgrade, which Serbia’s minister of culture accepted.