TEHRAN – Belarussian Ambassador Dmitry Koltsov has met Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance, Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili, in his office in Tehran to discuss the expansion of cultural ties.

“Belarus is a regional friend of Iran and the government seeks to expand relations in different areas, in addition, there are numerous cultural fields in which the two countries can cooperate,” Esmaeili said.

He said that Iran welcomes any plan to sign a memorandum of understanding on cultural issues and added that a recent example was done with Uzbekistan.

He noted that Iranian films have the potential to be screened in Belarus and said, “Based on the current regulations for screening in Iran, we are eager to screen some films produced in Belarus.”   

Esmaeili also said that his colleagues welcome any plan to organize a joint book fair with Belarussian publishers.

He also welcomed Koltsov’s proposal for holding an online meeting with the Belarussian Culture Minister, Anatoly Markevich, and noted, “There is no limit to the expansion of cultural relations with the friendly country Belarus and we hope the online meeting would lead to signing a memorandum of understanding on cultural fields between the two countries.”     

Koltsov also announced Belarus’s plan to celebrate 30 years of diplomatic relations with Iran in March and said Iran and Belarus have numerous topics in common on which to collaborate. 

He said that his country is ready to boost cultural relations with Iran and the presidents of the countries have confirmed this during their meeting at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Summit 2022 in Samarkand.

Referring to Iranian filmmakers’ higher status in the world, Koltsov officially invited them to attend the Minsk International Film Festival – Listapad, Belarus’s major film event held in the capital every year.

He said that the festival provides a good opportunity for cultural exchanges between Iranian and Belarussian cineastes.

He noted that a major film studio is very anxious to collaborate with Iranian filmmakers on joint film projects and hoped that a joint film project would be launched in the near future.

Koltsov pointed to the Belarusian State Museum of the Great Patriotic War History in Minsk and said that interactions with similar Iranian museums can provide a good opportunity for a mutual understanding of the history of the two nations.

Photo: Iranian Culture Minister Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili (R) presents Belarussian Ambassador Dmitry Koltsov with a book on Iran during a meeting in Tehran.

MMS/YAW