TEHRAN – Tehran and Beijing are working toward a joint roadmap to expand tourism cooperation and increase people-to-people exchanges, Iran’s minister of cultural heritage, tourism and handicrafts underlined in a meeting with a senior Chinese tourism official in Spain.

Seyyed Reza Salehi-Amiri met Gao Zheng, China’s vice minister of culture and tourism, on the sidelines of the 128th session of the Executive Council of the World Tourism Organization (UN Tourism), Mehr reported on Thursday. 
    
During the meeting, the two officials discussed ways to expand bilateral cooperation in tourism, cultural heritage and cultural exchanges.
    
Salehi-Amiri said relations between Iran and China had entered a new phase following a recent meeting between Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
    
“Iran and China already enjoy a desirable level of political and economic cooperation,” Salehi-Amiri said. “The time has come for tourism relations to be elevated in line with the strategic nature of ties between Tehran and Beijing.”

He said a joint action plan should be developed to strengthen tourism cooperation, adding that the 55th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries provided an opportunity to launch joint projects, increase tourism exchanges and expand cultural links.

Salehi-Amiri also thanked China for its support of Iran during developments over the past year and said public perceptions of China in Iran had improved, citing survey results.

Gao said Iran and China share deep historical and cultural ties and further effort should be made to bring the peoples of the two countries closer together alongside the development of government relations.

He said cultural exhibitions and programs organized by Iran in China in recent years had attracted significant public interest and reflected growing awareness of Iranian culture among Chinese citizens.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Gao welcomed Iran’s proposal for a joint action plan and said media organizations, tourism operators and the private sector could play an important role in expanding bilateral ties.

He also extended an official invitation to Salehi-Amiri to attend the China International Tourism Exhibition, expressing hope that the visit would help open a new stage of tourism and cultural cooperation between the two countries.

At the end of the meeting, both sides agreed on the need to accelerate joint initiatives, increase tourism exchanges, strengthen cooperation between private-sector stakeholders and make greater use of their cultural and civilizational capacities to deepen strategic relations between Tehran and Beijing.
AM