Minister says cultural diplomacy holds the key to stronger ties between Iran and Egypt
Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts, and Tourism Reza Salehi-Amiri has described cultural diplomacy as the cornerstone of strengthening relations between Iran and Egypt.
Speaking to an Iranian TV program from Istanbul on Monday, Salehi-Amiri emphasized the importance of developing tourism relations between Iran and Egypt.
Referring to Iran's official participation in the D-8 Cairo Summit, he said that strengthening cultural and tourism ties between Iran and Egypt could open a new chapter in their strategic relations.
At this summit, Iran aims to activate multilateral cooperation potential and reinforce cultural diplomacy with member states, including Turkey, Pakistan, and especially Egypt.
The December meeting between Iranian and Egyptian presidents paved the groundwork for renewed bilateral engagement, with current efforts focused on prioritizing tourism-sector partnerships, he added.
This trip is primarily aimed at facilitating joint initiatives between Iranian and Egyptian tourism agencies, he stated.
Establishing such connections would not only serve the interests of both nations but also foster unity within the Islamic Ummah, Salehi-Amiri said.
By introducing a new framework for technological collaboration in tourism, Iran seeks to enhance its position in emerging regional and global trends, he reiterated.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
13 hours ago
- The National
Iran blasts US travel ban citing 'deep hostility' to Iranians and Muslims
Iran on Saturday said the US travel ban on Iranian citizens and 11 other mostly Middle Eastern and African countries was a sign of a 'racist mentality'. The move, which is expected to take place on June 9, is "a clear sign of the dominance of a supremacist and racist mentality among American policymakers," Alireza Hashemi-Raja, the foreign ministry's director general for the affairs of Iranians abroad said in a statement. The decision "indicates the deep hostility of American decision-makers towards the Iranian and Muslim people", Mr Hashemi-Raja said. US President Donald Trump's decision will bar citizens from 12 countries including Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Mr Trump said the list could be revised and new countries could be added. The ban, which Mr Trump said was necessary to protect against "foreign terrorists", is a similar move he implemented during his first term in office from 2017 to 2021, when he barred travellers from seven Muslim-majority nations. The ban has been justified on national security grounds following a firebomb attack at a pro-Israel rally in Colorado. The alleged attacker, Mohamed Soliman, is from Egypt, which is not on the list. Mr Hashemi-Raja said the policy "violates fundamental principles of international law" and deprives "hundreds of millions of people of the right to travel based solely on their nationality or religion". The foreign ministry official said that the ban was discriminatory and would "entail international responsibility for the US government", without elaborating. Since 1979 Iranian revolution, Washington and Tehran severed diplomatic ties and relations have remained deeply strained since. It is known that the US is home to the largest Iranian community outside Iran. According to figures from Tehran's foreign ministry, there were some 1.5 million Iranians in the US in 2020. Mr Trump enacted a so-called Muslim ban during his first term, barring citizens of several Muslim-majority countries and others from entering the US. Travellers from Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Somalia, Sudan, Syria, Venezuela and Yemen were barred from entry. The policy went through several iterations before it was upheld by the Supreme Court in 2018. Mr Trump has blamed the immigration policies of former president Joe Biden for rising crime in the country, and he has been swift to issue executive orders, cracking down on people entering the country illegally.
Khaleej Times
17 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Russia launches major overnight attack in Ukraine's second-largest city, killing one
Russia pummelled Ukraine's second-largest city Kharkiv before dawn on Saturday, launching its "most powerful attack" there since the start of the war, the mayor said, announcing one person killed. In recent weeks, Russian troops have accelerated their advance while the latest negotiations in Istanbul failed to broker an end to the three-year war. "Kharkiv is currently experiencing the most powerful attack since the beginning of the full-scale war," Kharkiv Mayor Igor Terekhov posted on Telegram, describing a barrage of missiles, drones and guided bombs striking simultaneously. "As of now, at least 40 explosions have been heard in the city over the past hour and a half," he wrote at 4:40am (0140 GMT), adding that drones were still buzzing overhead. "The threat remains." A strike on a residential building in Kyivsky district killed one person, the mayor said. Kharkiv regional Governor Oleg Synegubov posted that seven people were wounded in the aerial assault. "Medical personnel are providing the necessary assistance," he wrote. On Thursday, at least 18 people, including four children, were wounded in strikes on the northeastern city that set an apartment bloc on fire. Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed that Moscow would respond to an audacious Ukrainian drone attack that destroyed several nuclear-capable military jets. Ukraine has been pushing for an unconditional and immediate 30-day truce, issuing its latest proposal to Moscow at peace talks in Istanbul on Monday. But Russia has repeatedly rejected calls for such a ceasefire. Tens of thousands of people have been killed, swaths of eastern and southern Ukraine destroyed, and millions forced to flee their homes since Russia invaded in February 2022.
The National
a day ago
- The National
Iran warns European nations over move to censure it for nuclear 'non-compliance'
Iran 's Foreign Minister warned the UK, France and Germany on Friday against backing a resolution censuring Tehran at a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency next week, saying such a move would be a "strategic mistake". "Instead of engaging in good faith, the E3 is opting for malign action against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors," Abbas Araghchi said in a post on X. "Mark my words as Europe ponders another major strategic mistake: Iran will react strongly against any violation of its rights." Mr Araghchi's warning comes as the three European nations prepare to join the United States in backing a draft resolution to censure Iran at next week's board meeting, a diplomatic source told AFP. The resolution would accuse Iran of failing to meet its obligations as a signatory of the Nuclear No-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and carries the threat of referral to the UN Security Council if Tehran "does not show goodwill", the source added. The move follows a quarterly report from the IAEA last week which cited a "general lack of co-operation" from Iran and raised concerns over undeclared nuclear material. The UN's nuclear watchdog also expressed 'serious concern' that Iran had stepped up its enrichment of uranium to near weapons-grade level in recent months. The report said Iran had an estimated 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent as of May 17, up by 133.8kg since the last report in February. According to the IAEA, Iran is the only non-nuclear weapon state to enrich uranium to 60 per cent, which is close to the roughly 90 per cent level needed for atomic weapons. Iran has repeatedly denied that it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons. Tehran rejected the report as politically motivated and based on "forged documents" that it said had been provided by its arch foe Israel. In his post on X, Mr Araghchi said that despite "years of good co-operation with the IAEA – resulting in a resolution which shut down malign claims of a 'possible military dimension' (PMD) to Iran's peaceful nuclear programme – my country is once again accused of 'non-compliance'." "Falsely accusing Iran of violating safeguards – based on shoddy and politicised reporting – is clearly designed to produce a crisis," he said. The pressure on Iran comes as it holds indirect talks with the US, mediated by Oman, to reach an agreement that would see Tehran accept curbs on its nuclear activity in return for the lifting of economic sanctions imposed by Washington. The two sides have held five rounds of talks since April 12 but are at odds over the issue of uranium enrichment, which produces fuel for nuclear reactors or, at higher levels of purity, material for nuclear warheads. Iran's leaders say that it has the right to enrich uranium under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and that the issue is "non-negotiable", while President Donald Trump insists that US will not allow enrichment to continue on Iranian soil. Tehran and Washington are seeking a new agreement to replace a 2015 deal with major powers which Mr Trump unilaterally abandoned during his first term in 2018. The agreement quickly unravelled as Mr Trump reimposed sweeping sanctions on Iran, leading Tehran to begin breaching commitments it made under the pact including a 3.67 per cent cap on the level of its uranium enrichment. Britain, France and Germany, which were all party to the 2015 deal, are now considering whether to trigger a "snapback" of UN sanctions under its dispute resolution mechanism – an option that expires on the deal's 10th anniversary in October.
