Iran’s Minister of Culture Mohammad Mahdi Esmaeili held a meeting with his Uzbek counterpart Nazarbekov Ozodbek Ahmadovich on the sidelines of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Summit in Tashkent on Thursday.
The two sides discussed the bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest in the meeting.
They also agreed to observe the Cultural Days of Iran and Uzbekistan in the capitals of the two states in 2024.
Pointing to the Sister City relationships formed between the Iranian and Uzbek cities in the past, Esmaeili called for plans to strengthen the bilateral ties in this respect.
The two ministers also discussed proposals to organize joint cultural programs between Samarkand and Isfahan and also between Bukhara and Hamedan, four renowned cities in Iran and Uzbekistan with rich history.
Stressing the need for closer cooperation between the Bu-Ali Sina (Avicenna) Foundation of Iran and the relevant cultural centers in Uzbekistan, Iran’s culture minister said the foundation works on a major part of the Iranian and Islamic civilization’s heritage.
Esmaeili was accompanying Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi in a visit to Uzbekistan for the ECO Summit.