TEHRAN – Lebanese Culture Minister Mohammad Wissam Al-Murtada and Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili held a meeting at Vahdat Hall in Tehran Wednesday.

Wissam Al-Murtada was in Tehran last week to attend the First Memorial for Martyrs of the Resistance Media organized by the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB).

Esmaeili referred to an Iranian cultural festival organized in Beirut in March 2022, and said, “Due to the warm welcome given to the cultural festival, we are ready to collaborate on joint film projects with Lebanon on topics such as Islamic resistance.”

Wissam Al-Murtada said that Lebanon is extremely eager to expand cultural relations with Iran and added Iran and Lebanon are facing common challenges. Consequently, these inclinations towards mutual cooperation between the two countries should be developed.

He noted that his colleagues are eager to organize a cultural festival in Tehran soon and said, “Fortunately, Lebanon works in close cooperation with the Iranian cultural attaché and the Embassy of Iran in Beirut, and screening Iranian films and holding art exhibitions and musical performances will continue in our country.” 

He said “media terrorism” is more evil than “military terrorism” and emphasized the need for the establishment of a joint media committee to coordinate exchanges of experiences on this issue.

Wissam Al-Murtada also welcomed Esmaeili’s proposal to organize a mutual conference to discuss ways to deal with “media terrorism”. 

Wissam Al-Murtada and Esmaeili watched videos of several concerts performed at the latest edition of the Fajr Music Festival held in Tehran in February.

Iran’s National Orchestra gave a performance as part of an Iranian cultural festival in March 2022 at the Conference Hall of the UNESCO Palace in Beirut.

The concert under the baton of Bardia Kiaras with vocalist Arash Kamangar was performed in two sections, the first of which featured “In Praise of Morning”, “Khusheh Chin”, “Fascinating Spring”, “The Message” and “Kind-Religion Soil”.

The concert then went on with “Restless for Balqis” composed by Iranian musician Fardin Khalatbari with lyrics from Ahura Iman in sympathy with Lebanon on the disastrous blast in Beirut in 2020.

Conducted by Lebanese maestro Andre AlHaj, the National Orchestra also recorded the music video “Restless for Balqis” at the same time.

Photo: Iranian Culture Minister Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili (L) receives a gift from his Lebanese counterpart, Mohammad Wissam Al-Murtada, in Tehran on March 1, 2023.

MMS/YAW