TEHRAN – The National Museum of Iran will be holding loan exhibits at major museums in some Chinese cities based on a previously-discussed initiative aimed to revive the glory of arts, architectures, and civilizations along the ancient Silk Road.

The exhibits will be held in line with China's One Belt and One Road Intangible Cultural Heritage Exchange Forum, IRNA quoted Tehran’s Ambassador to Beijing Mohammad Keshavarz-Zadeh as saying on Sunday.

The National Museum of Iran will hold lone exhibitions in different Chinese cities to showcase Iran's art treasures, Keshavarz-Zadeh added.

“The National Museum of Iran has already participated in various Chinese fairs including exhibitions of Asian civilizations, intangible cultural heritage, and Canton Fair.”

The Belt and Road Initiative- a development strategy first announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013- is a transportation and investment move that follows cooperation among the world countries in different continents.

The cooperation between Iranian and Chinese museums is at a “good” level, and the two countries enjoy profound historical and cultural relations, the ambassador tweeted.

Last year, Iran’s tourism minister Ali-Asghar Mounesan said that the Islamic Republic backs China’s initiative for reviving the glory of the ancient Silk Road, which existed for thousands of years, passing through many different empires, kingdoms, reigns, and societies throughout history. And, as one of the countries under the China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Iran enables cultural communication between the East and the West.

UNESCO says that the ancient Silk Road has connected civilizations and brought peoples and cultures into contact with each other from across the world for thousands of years, permitting not only an exchange of goods but an interaction of ideas and cultures that has shaped our world today.

AFM/MG