TEHRAN – The Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicraft Organization has held a meeting with representatives of the member countries of Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) to study the potential for boosting economic development through handicraft industry.

CHTHO Director Massud Soltanifar Soltanifar, President of ECO Cultural Institute (ECI) Iftikhar Husain Arif, CHTHO’s Handicrafts Department Deputy Director Bahman Namvar-Motlaq and a number of ambassadors of member countries attended the event, which was held at the Niavaran Cultural Historical Palace on Monday morning.

ECO countries’ markets are dominated by far-away countries and as neighboring countries they neglect their own potential for economic cooperation, Namvar-Motlaq said during the conference.

--------- Handicraft trade not only transaction but cultural exchange

“Handicraft and cultural industry have a bright future. Handicraft trade is not mere trade transaction but a kind of cultural exchange,” Namvar-Motlaq added.

He proposed approaches to open a new chapter in economic and cultural cooperation between ECO member countries during the event.

Namvar-Motlaq also proposed ways to reach preferential trade agreement for exchange of artifacts, provide raw materials of handicrafts between ECO member countries and promote usage of handicraft among people in member countries.

--------Handicraft conveys national beliefs and culture to world

Handicraft industry conveys the culture and beliefs of each society to other parts of the world, CHTHO Director Massud Soltanifar said during the conference.

The establishment of economic organizations is a way to strengthen ties between member countries and ECO is not an exception, he said.

Iran and its neighbor countries share an optimistic view in economic and cultural activities following Iran nuclear deal, he said.

He called handicraft trade as a great opportunity, which develops local industry as well as creativity and self-sufficiency amongst nations.



-------------- Handicrafts is to be part of living societies

“Artifacts and handicrafts are not to be preserved in the museums and archives, they are to be a part of our living societies. Promotion and display of a thing of the past is very important, but to transfer our cultural heritage to the other generation is more important,” president of ECO Cultural Institute (ECI) Iftikhar Husain Arif said during the conference.

“I’d like to extend following proposals for promotion of handicrafts in ECO region: Organization of exhibitions on culture, arts and crafts in the Eco member states, workshops and short term courses… collaborative research projects and publication,” he added.

“I hope such meetings will continue in the future to provide an opportunity for closer cooperation of all relevant authorities in strengthening cultural ties among ECO nations,” he concluded.

-------- Handicraft industry can promote well-being of nations

“With strengthening handicraft industry, a society can decrease or eradicate poverty, promote well-being of people, create productive employment and it is a kind of industry, which can uphold societies after disasters,” Deputy Secretary General of the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO) Seyyed Jalaleddin Alavi said.

“Thanks to its huge potentialities, our region is known more than ever to the world,” he added.

He pointed out to the ECO Trade And Development Bank in Istanbul, which provides micro credits for activists in the realm of handicraft industry.

Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO), is an intergovernmental regional organization established in 1985 by Iran, Pakistan and Turkey for the purpose of promoting economic, technical and cultural cooperation among the Member States.

Islamic State of Afghanistan, Azerbaijan Republic, Republic of Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Republic of Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Republic of Uzbekistan are other members of the organization.

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