TEHRAN – Iran’s Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance and Russia’s Minister of Culture met in St. Petersburg and discussed areas of cooperation between the two countries.

In the meeting, Seyed Abbas Salehi, who traveled to St. Petersburg at the official invitation of his Russian counterpart Olga Lyubimova, referred to the recent meeting between the presidents of Iran and Russia on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in China and noted that the discussions between Masoud Pezeshkian and Vladimir Putin were among the longest bilateral meetings during the summit, an evidence of the two leaders’ commitment to expanding relations, Mehr reported.

For her part, Lyubimova expressed her satisfaction with her Iranian counterpart’s participation in the International Cultural Forum and thanked Tehran for the successful organization of the Russia Cultural Week in Iran.

She further highlighted the candidacy of Kazan as the Cultural Capital of the Islamic World in 2026, requesting Iran’s support for the event.

The two ministers also reviewed the outcomes of their June meeting in Tehran aimed at advancing the Comprehensive Strategic Agreement between the two countries, and discussed new proposals to strengthen cooperation.

Both sides agreed to hold the Iran Cultural Week in Russia in 2026. “Following the successful hosting of Russia Cultural Week in Iran, the Russian side is ready to organize the Days of Iranian Culture in Russia in 2026,” Lyubimova said.

Salehi arrived in St. Petersburg on Wednesday afternoon to attend the 11th International Forum of United Cultures and to hold consultations on the expansion of Iran-Russia cultural relations.

The forum was held on Thursday and Friday with the participation of culture ministers and senior representatives from over 40 countries and international organizations.

SS/