TEHRAN-- The Cultural Heritage Protection Unit needs support and strengthened cooperation with the Iranian police's counterterrorism unit, known as FARAJA, said Cultural Heritage Minister Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri in a meeting with the Commander-in-Chief of Iran’s Police Brigadier General Ahmad Reza Radan on Friday.

According to IRNA, the minister called preserving the cultural monuments and heritages as a national and strategic mission. 

He said that preserving the country’s cultural heritage is safeguarding the identity and civilizational assets of Islamic Iran.

The Cultural Heritage Protection Unit needs support and strengthening of cooperation with FARAJA and this can be a successful model of synergy between the responsible agencies against cultural threats, he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, he pointed to the 12-day imposed war of the Zionist regime against Iran and expressed sympathy with the families of the martyrs and the injured.

He appreciated the efforts and struggles of FARAJA Commander-in-Chief and the forces under his command, adding: “What is more important today than ever is maintaining the national unity, resisting the threats, and strengthening the spirit of hope in society.” 

Also, Brigadier General Radan emphasized the civilizational and identical status of the country’s cultural heritage and said preserving the ancient heritage is not just the mission of an institution, but a national duty and a shared responsibility. 

The security forces are ready to support the missions of the Cultural Heritage Protection Unit with all their capacity, he pointed out.

The meeting ended with both sides emphasizing the development of joint cooperation and the utilization of law enforcement and management capacities for the effective protection of the country's historical and cultural heritages.

KD