TEHRAN – Italian Ambassador Mauro Conciatori and Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Seyyed Abbas Salehi met in Tehran on Tuesday.

Some arrangements to host Italy as the special guest of the 30th Tehran International Book Fair (TIBF) in May 2017 were discussed during the meeting. 

Conciatori said that high-ranking officials of the two countries have held four meetings on cultural, economic and political activities over the past year and added that boosting cultural ties is Italy’s top priority.

Selecting Italy as the special guest of the Tehran book fair gives the country a chance to expand its cultural relations with Iran, he said.

Conciatori proposed establishing an Italian cultural institute in Iran and said the center could assist the two countries in strengthening their cultural ties.

The proposal was warmly received by Salehi who said that preliminaries to establish the institute should be discussed during joint meetings with Iranian and Italian experts.

He said that the center could be inaugurated during the 30th Tehran International Book Fair.

Russia was the special guest of the TIBF in 2016.

Photo: Italian Ambassador Mauro Conciatori (L) and Deputy Culture Minister for Cultural Affairs Seyyed Abbas Salehi meet in Tehran on November 15, 2016.

MMS/YAW