TEHRAN--Iranian Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri, announced the beginning of tourism exchange between Iran and Egypt in near future.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the cabinet session on Wednesday, Salehi-Amiri said, "The exchange of tourists between Iran and Egypt will begin in the near future," Mehr news agency reported.

He also said that the ministry has held meetings with the officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs regarding the tourism cooperation between Iran and Egypt.

"We had a meeting with the Turkish Minister of Tourism to develop tourism relations. We send 3.5 million tourists to Turkey, while they send about one million tourists to Iran, and we are seeking to create a balance in this regard," he also said.

KD