TEHRAN-The culture ministers of Iran and Qatar met during Iran's Cultural Week in Doha and discussed aspects of cultural cooperation between the two countries and ways to develop them.

The Iranian minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Seyed Abbas Salehi met his Qatari counterpart Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani on Thursday and the two sides emphasized the operational expansion of cultural cooperation and the formation of a committee to facilitate these collaborations, IRNA reported.

Referring to the deep cultural commonalities between Iran and Qatar, Salehi described the friendly relations between the two countries as a valuable opportunity for joint cultural cooperation. 

He pointed to the cultural exchange agreement signed in the presence of the Presidents of Iran and Qatar, stating that holding Iran’s Cultural Week in Qatar is an important step toward implementing this agreement.  

The Iranian Culture Minister proposed the formation of a joint working group comprising the Iranian embassy, cultural attaché, and the Qatari Ministry of Culture to identify and implement cultural and artistic initiatives, particularly in the field of books, ensuring their completion before Qatar’s Cultural Week in Iran.  

Expressing appreciation for the insightful perspectives of his Iranian counterpart, the Qatari Minister of Culture described him as an ethical and scholarly figure and expressed satisfaction with the cultural collaborations between the two countries.  

He referred to previous cultural interaction efforts and announced the preparation of a collection of Qatari books, which will include Persian translations alongside Arabic poetry.  

Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani also emphasized that he has instructed his deputy to seriously follow up on cultural cooperation with Iran, as he considers Iranian culture to be rich and valuable.  

Furthermore, he proposed that the Iranian artists participating in Iran’s Cultural Week should also take part in one of Qatar’s upcoming cultural programs, demonstrating Qatar’s respect and commitment to Iranian culture and art.

According to him, the formation of a joint working group will help determine the cultural interests of the Qatari people, leading to more targeted cultural activities.  

The Qatari Minister of Culture further announced the launch of an award focused on ethics, stating that it is designed based on Quranic teachings and the sayings of the Prophet of Islam and will be held in collaboration with UNESCO. He invited Iranian artists to participate in this event to help institutionalize an ethics-based culture in societies and shape people’s lifestyles around moral values.  

During the meeting, Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani highlighted the role of Iran’s Cultural Week in creating opportunities for the cultural economy. “This event can introduce Qataris to Iran’s cultural and artistic capabilities, encourage the purchase of Iranian artistic products, and invite Iranian artists to hold training courses in Qatar”.  

He also emphasized the importance of social media in cultural interactions and suggested that, on various occasions, including Iran-Qatar Cultural Days, online engagement between Iranian and Qatari users should be strengthened to enhance mutual cultural understanding and support the cultural economy.  

In response, Seyyed Abbas Salehi emphasized the significance of the Persian language in cultural relations and proposed joint cooperation in Persian language education, seeing it as a valuable opportunity to deepen interactions between the two countries.  

He also declared Iran’s readiness to collaborate in cultural fields, particularly those of interest to the Qatari people or the Qatari government. “If we seek to open a new chapter in Iran-Qatar relations, that gateway will be through cultural and economic interactions,” he noted.

The Iranian Cultural Week in Qatar is underway at the permanent Darb Al Saai headquarters in Umm Salal. It comes within the framework of the cultural events program that the Ministry of Culture of Qatar includes in its annual activities with sister and friend countries to strengthen cultural relations and cultural diplomacy and introduce the cultures of countries.

The Iranian Cultural Week, through its activities, displays a wide range of aspects of Iranian Islamic art and civilization, with the participation of several Iranian artists to display their various artworks to the public, allowing the public a unique cultural experience and an opportunity to interact with the rich Iranian heritage.

The event includes a group of daily artistic and theatrical performances, in addition to exhibitions of fine arts and traditional crafts, and the display of works of artists in various artistic and creative fields including music, Persian calligraphy, gilding, fashion, clothing, carpets, painting, and embroidery, in addition to many handicrafts.

It aims to introduce the public to the various Iranian cultures, promote dialogue between cultures, encourage cultural and artistic communication between creators from different countries, and highlight local and international cultural and artistic heritage.  

Photo: Seyed Abbas Salehi (L) meets Sheikh Abdulrahman bin Hamad al-Thani in Doha, Qatar, on Thursday.

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