The Iranian city of Qazvin hosted the 11th Silk Road Mayors Forum on September 3 and 4, during which several ambassadors, cultural officials, and investors from across the globe convened to discuss a range of topics to fertile the ground for reviving the ancient trade route. 

Ambassadors from the Netherlands, Spain, Pakistan, Japan, the Philippines, Thailand, India, Brunei, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Senegal, Tunisia, Benin, and Bangladesh participated in the forum.

Director and Representative of the UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office Esther Kuisch Laroche as well as officials from Iran, Germany, Poland, Switzerland, Chile, and the Ivory Coast were other attendees to the event organized by Iran’s Revitalization and Utilization Fund for Historical Places (RUFHP).

Conservation of structures that are of historical importance such as caravansaries, bathhouses, and historic houses, as well as cultural and economic interactions between the nations were amidst contexts several speakers used to explore every avenues toward a source of sustainable income that would emerge from cultural tourism.  

The RUFHP Director Mohammadreza Puyandeh talked on the issue, redefining the importance of historical sights dotted on the Silk Road, as he expressed readiness of the RUFHP to conduct  joint projects in that regard with eligible foreign institutes and investors.

On a side-section program devised for the event, the participants visited several natural beauties and historical places scattered around the city.  

During a brief interview with the Tehran Times, Indian Ambassador Saurabh Kumar expressed his outlook on the journey to Qazvin, outlining its considerable achievements.

He said there is a close affinity between India and Iran as the two nations have themes of cultural backgrounds, architecture, and language in common.

Kumar added the city of Qazvin, which he had never seen before, came to him as surprise due to its abundance in amazing natural and historic sights.   

AFM/MG