TEHRAN – Iran’s provincial diplomacy could help attract more foreign tourists, expand medical tourism and boost handicraft exports through stronger cross-border cooperation with neighboring countries, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has said.

Speaking to the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts’ news outlet, Miras Aria, Araghchi highlighted the potential for closer cooperation between his ministry and the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, particularly amid the economic challenges facing the country.

He said cooperation between the two ministries already covered several areas, including tourism, handicrafts and cultural heritage. The Foreign Ministry also supports efforts to attract international visitors through visa-related services and international marketing, drawing on Iran’s diplomatic missions abroad.

In the handicrafts sector, the ministry’s economic diplomacy division helps promote exports and expand trade relations, while the two ministries also cooperate in introducing and help registering Iran’s cultural heritage internationally, he added.

Araghchi said the ministries’ international affairs departments maintain close working relations, noting that a joint meeting of their deputy ministers had recently been held to explore opportunities for further cooperation.

He said a recent meeting with managers of the cultural heritage and tourism ministry had focused on ways to support the national economy through tourism development and handicraft exports amid the country’s wartime conditions and the uncertainty of the current situation.

One of the key approaches discussed was provincial diplomacy, which he described as an effective means of strengthening regional economic and cultural ties.

Direct cooperation between Iranian provinces and neighboring regions across international borders could create new opportunities for tourism and trade, Araghchi said.

He noted that many Iranian provinces are located far from areas affected by the war and have suitable conditions and capacities for tourism development. Strengthening links between border provinces and neighboring regions could help generate new flows of international visitors and expand economic and cultural exchanges.

Some of these cross-border connections are already in place, he said, adding that further support could help activate underused tourism potential and strengthen people-to-people relations.

The foreign minister also identified medical tourism as an important area for international cooperation, saying foreign patients continue to choose Iran for medical treatment despite the country's wartime circumstances.

"Even under wartime conditions, hospitals in the country have been booked for the coming months by foreign tourists traveling to Iran for treatment," he said.

Medical centers, particularly in border areas, continue to receive considerable demand from international health tourists despite the prevailing circumstances, Araghchi added.

Concluding his remarks, he called for national solidarity and closer coordination among government institutions to overcome the challenges facing the country.

He also praised the public's resilience and the efforts and sacrifices of the armed forces, saying national unity and collective action were essential to navigating the current situation.

AM