TEHRAN -- Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Hossein Saffar Harandi visited the director of the Egyptian Interests Section in Iran, Amr al-Ziat, here on Thursday.

Iran and Egypt have ancient civilizations and deep cultures, and improving cultural relations between the two countries will help efforts to boost diplomatic ties, Saffar Harandi said during the meeting.
The prestigious histories of Iran and Egypt should be used to help expand ties in various fields of art and culture such as cinema, theater, the press, and music, he added.
He went on to say that both countries would greatly benefit if they shared their artistic and cultural experiences.
For example, Egyptian publishers can take part in the Tehran International Book Fair, he suggested.
Saffar Harandi also announced that Iran is making preparations for an Egyptian cultural week that will be held in the near future.
Al-Ziat welcomed Saffar Harandi’s ideas on the expansion of cultural ties and expressed hope that the cultural relations between Iran and Egypt would help improve the two countries’ political ties.