BHOPAL, India (Dispatches) — Iran used the BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting in Bhopal to press for expanded cultural cooperation with fellow member states, taking part in negotiations over the group’s final cultural document while pursuing bilateral initiatives in publishing, cinema, heritage preservation and cultural exchanges.
The 11th BRICS Culture Ministers’ Meeting was held in Bhopal on August 7–8 as part of India’s 2026 BRICS chairship. The official program included a preceding cultural working-group meeting and a BRICS cultural festival.
The Iranian delegation, headed by Mohsen Javadi, included representatives from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance, the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization, the Foreign Ministry and Iran’s cultural mission in India.
During the first day, Iranian representatives participated in technical negotiations on the meeting’s final document. According to Iran’s Culture Ministry, the discussions resulted in agreement on the text that would serve as a basis for cultural cooperation among BRICS members in 2026.
Javadi, speaking during the ministerial session, highlighted Iran’s experience in books and publishing while calling for broader cooperation in culture, the arts, tourism and cultural heritage. He also stressed the importance of supporting younger generations in BRICS countries as a means of developing longer-term cultural links.
The Iranian delegation framed culture as more than a complementary element of international relations. Javadi described culture and the arts as a shared language capable of contributing to peace and dialogue at a time of political and economic tensions.
The most concrete developments came through a series of bilateral meetings on the margins of the gathering.
In talks with Indonesia’s Culture Minister Fadli Zon, the two sides discussed potential cooperation involving the Tehran International Book Fair, joint film production, the protection of tangible and intangible cultural 
heritage and reciprocal cultural weeks.
Iranian officials also held discussions with India’s deputy culture minister on expanding cooperation around the Persian language. A meeting with the minister of Madhya Pradesh focused on strengthening cultural links between Iran and the Indian state, while talks with representatives of other BRICS countries, including Brazil, explored additional opportunities for cultural exchange.
The discussions come as BRICS expands its cultural agenda beyond traditional artistic exchange. Ahead of the Bhopal meeting, Indian officials said the 2026 culture track would address the impact of artificial intelligence on creative industries, the repatriation of cultural property taken during the colonial period and the contribution of cultural practices to climate action.
For Iran, the Bhopal meeting also provided an opportunity to propose future cultural programs in India. Javadi suggested that the Iranian embassy and cultural mission work with local partners to organize major programs centered on the Prophet Muhammad and the Shahnameh, the epic attributed to Ferdowsi.
The proposals point toward a broader Iranian strategy of using literature, language, cinema and heritage as instruments of cultural diplomacy within the expanding BRICS framework.
The Iranian delegation also met with staff of Iran’s embassy and cultural mission in New Delhi and the Iranian consulate general in Mumbai, where Javadi discussed ways to increase the effectiveness of Iran’s cultural activities abroad.