TEHRAN -- In the recent visit by a German cultural delegation, it was proposed to build another symbol of Hafez and Goethe both in the cities of Shiraz and Weimer.

Shiraz City Council Deputy Chairman Mehdi Khani met with Cultural Attaché of the German Embassy and the German delegation on Thursday and said, “The Shiraz City Council aims to develop cultural relations between the two countries and other major countries in the world.”
“Shiraz has long had a cultural relationship with Weimer, and Hafez and Goethe have acted as connections between the East and West.
“Considering this long relationship between the two prominent figures, it is proposed to make symbols of Hafez and Goethe in Germany and Iran, and unveil the two in Shiraz and Weimer simultaneously,” Khani added.
The Cultural Attaché of the German Embassy, Ms. Riecken, also expressed her happiness over the proposal and said, “As a German cultural representative, I warmly embrace any cultural relationship between Shiraz and Weimer, and announce that the embassy is ready for an expanded relationship.”
She added that the hospitality of the Iranian officials and the Shirazi people is a bridge between Iran and Germany.
A number of Goethe admirers from Germany traveled to Iran to commemorate the Iranian poet Hafez during a program held at his mausoleum in Shiraz on June 10. The ceremony was a part of the Western-Eastern Divan Festival which is held in two stages; one in Shiraz and the other in Weimar.