TEHRAN-The Head of the Academy of Arts Majid Shah-Hosseini, and the Chinese Ambassador to Iran Cong Peiwu met in Tehran on Tuesday.

During this meeting, which was attended by the embassy secretaries and several officials from the Academy of Arts, the two sides reviewed the history of cultural and artistic relations between the two countries, ILNA reported.

They exchanged views and proposed solutions to implement the provisions of a memorandum of understanding recently signed by the heads of the two nations’ art academies. Additionally, suggestions were made to enhance cultural and artistic exchanges between the two civilizational domains of Iran and China.

During the meeting, Shah-Hosseini highlighted the scientific and artistic capacities of the academy’s members as the core and most influential body of thought in the Academy of Arts, as well as the specialized groups working in areas such as traditional and modern arts, artificial intelligence, art futurism, and digital arts. 

He emphasized that the Belt and Road Initiative, spearheaded by China in West Asia, would remain incomplete without cultural and artistic components. Therefore, the Iranian Academy of Arts is keen on joint collaborations such as the film project “The Maritime Silk Road 2,” holding a biennial exhibition for countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative, translating art books, organizing webinars to introduce the cultural and historical arts of the two nations, hosting painting exhibitions by Chinese artist Zhu Huan, and conducting specialized meetings with artists from both countries. 

Shah-Hosseini affirmed that such efforts would serve the interests of both ancient civilizations and could only be realized through practical steps taken by the art academies of both nations.

For his part, the Chinese ambassador expressed agreement with the Iranian side’s proposals, stating that cultural exchange and civilizational interaction play a fundamental role in strengthening relations and cooperation between the two nations. He emphasized that such dialogue and peaceful coexistence among civilizations bridge gaps and reduce tensions.

“Our embassy fully supports the implementation of the memorandum between the two academies of arts in Iran and China and is entirely prepared to cooperate in various fields. Moreover, the Silk Road has historically been a venue for cultural exchanges. Today, enriching the strategic Belt and Road Initiative will be achieved with cultural and artistic content,” Cong Peiwu said.

“Cultural cooperation between Iran and China is already underway. For instance, the “Splendor of Ancient Iran” exhibition is currently being held in three major Chinese cities. Additionally, significant progress has been made in teaching the Persian language in recent years. Today, over ten universities are training talented individuals to contribute to the future of relations between the two countries in the field of Persian language education. For this reason, we welcome every effort to expand cultural and artistic collaborations between Iran and China,” he noted.

At the end of the meeting, the two sides expressed hope that the continuation of these relations would pave the way for further growth and expansion in cultural and artistic arenas.

Photo: Majid Shah-Hosseini (3rd right) and Cong Peiwu (3rd left) meet in Tehran, January 21, 2025.

SS/SAB