TEHRAN -- Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev met Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi-Amiri in Tehran on Monday.

Minister Garayev said that his country has arranged a colorful program during the Azerbaijani cultural festival, which is due to open in Tehran on Tuesday.

He added that the cultural festival in Iran will create a bridge between libraries, museums and cultural organizations.

For his part, Salehi-Amiri pointed to the joint commonalities between the two countries.

“Primary agreements have been made for joint collaborations in art, cinema and publications as well as manuscripts exchange,” the minister said. 

“Iran’s cinema can have close cooperation with the cinema of Azerbaijan, while joint exhibitions and book fairs have also been discussed,” Salehi-Amiri said.

He next explained that the Cinema Organization of Iran (COI) Director Mohammad-Mehdi Heidarian is scheduled to meet his Azerbaijani counterpart to pave the ground for screening Iranian films in Azerbaijan and films from Azerbaijan in Iran.

The Azerbaijani minister at the head of a delegation arrived in Tehran on Sunday. 

The Azerbaijani cultural festival will open at Tehran’s Vahdat Hall with a performance by an Azerbaijani orchestra.

A number of other programs have also been arranged during the program.

The Iranian Academy of Arts will be hosting an exhibition of photos under the title “Azerbaijan of Today” opening on July 4 and running for one week.

Several movies by Azerbaijani directors are scheduled to go on screen at the Arasbaran Cultural Center including “Nabat” by Elchin Musaoglu, “Interrupted Memories” by Elkhan Jafarov and “Lesson” by Rafiq Aliyev and Cavid Tavakkul.

Additionally on July 7 and 8, the Honar Hall of Tehran will host “Husband and Wife”, a musical comedy written by Uzeyir Hajibeyov in 1909.

Photo: Azerbaijani Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev (L) and Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Reza Salehi-Amiri meet in Tehran on July 2, 2017. (Tasnim/Mohammad Hassanzadeh)

RM/YAW