TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts Reza Salehi-Amiri met with Indian Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on the sidelines of the 26th UN Tourism General Assembly in Riyadh on Monday to discuss expanding tourism cooperation and strengthening cultural ties between the two countries.

The Iranian minister described closer collaboration with India as one of the strategic priorities of Iran’s tourism policy, Shabestan news agency reported.

During the meeting, the two sides emphasized the long history of cultural relations and civilizational commonalities between Iran and India and agreed on planning to increase tourism and cultural interactions, exchange experience between tourism activists, and hold joint events and exhibitions.

Referring to the joint tourism capacities, Salehi-Amiri said: “Iran and India have a long and rich history in the field of cultural and civilizational relations. We must make this huge historical capital the basis for tourism development, tourist exchange and cultural cooperation.”

Salehi-Amiri added that cooperation with India in the field of tourism not only helps in the development of cultural relations, but can also increase the share of the two countries in the regional and global tourism market. 

KD