TEHRAN-Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance has said that cooperation with the Islamic World is a priority for Iran.

Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili made the remarks in a meeting with Salim bin Mohammed Al-Malik, director general of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO) on the sidelines of the 12th Conference of Ministers of Culture in the Islamic World, which was held in Doha, Qatar, September 25 and 26, ISNA reported on Wednesday.

Referring to the importance of ICESCO for Tehran, the minister said that there are common cultural issues in the Islamic World, and there is a need for more consultation and dialogue between the authorities of Islamic countries in this field. “ICESCO can play an important role in this regard,” he added.

Referring to Iran's historic role in spreading Islamic culture, Esmaeili emphasized the joint cooperation with ICESCO and invited Al-Malik to visit Tehran.

Almalik, for his part, hailed Iran for being rich in cultural matters. “Since the founding of ISESCO in 1979 as part of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), Iran has been one of the active countries,” he said, adding that Iran can play an important role in the development of ICESCO programs.

The culture minister also met his Iraqi counterpart in Doha. Esmaeili and Ahmed Fakak held talks on Monday, discussing cultural ties between their countries.

The two officials agreed that the cultural relations between Iran and Iraq should be further expanded as the two nations share many cultural and historical commonalities.

 The two-day conference was organized by the ICESCO under the theme of “toward renewing cultural action in the Islamic world”. Participants discuss a range of topics including issues of cultural development in the Islamic world.

Photo: Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Mehdi Esmaeili (L) met Iraq Culture Minister Ahmed Fakak in Doha.

SS/SAB