TEHRAN - Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and Ministry of Cooperatives, Labor, and Social Welfare have signed a memorandum of understanding to strengthen joint cooperation in the field of handicrafts and market development.

The MoU was signed by Deputy Minister of Handicrafts Maryam Jalali-Dehkordi and Deputy Minister of Cooperatives Affairs Yaqoob Rostami Mal Khalifa on Wednesday.

According to Mehr news agency, the cooperation is planned in accordance with Article 9 of the law on implementation of the general policies of the Article 44 of Constitution, and in implementing the relevant clauses in the documents on  development of the cooperative and handicraft sector.

Based on MoU, the parties will cooperate in various areas, including empowering and improving the specialized skills of members of handicraft cooperatives, developing the market and marketing, holding joint specialized exhibitions, participating in national and international events, facilitating the formation and licensing processes, renovating the production sites and lines, and attracting investment in the value chain of handicrafts in form of cooperative companies.

The initiative has been carried out with major goals, including increasing the share of handicrafts in the national economy, developing value networks in the cooperative model, creating employment, and implementing upstream documents in the field of cooperatives and handicrafts. 

It is expected that the joint cooperation will be an effective step in organizing and empowering the artists and activists in this field.

KD