Tehran, IRNA – Expansion of cultural cooperation with member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in common civilizational and heritage fields such as Nowruz rituals will help develop cultural diplomacy and tourism collaboration between the organization and Iran, a researcher believes.
At the end of the 21st SCO Summit in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, the main member states of the organization accepted Iran’s full membership to the SCO. China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan and Iran are the official member states of the organization, and Afghanistan, Mongolia and Belarus are observer members, and Azerbaijan Republic, Armenia, Cambodia, Nepal, Turkey and Sri Lanka are called dialogue partners.
Maryam Sedehi, a researcher of international cultural studies, told IRNA on Thursday that full membership of Iran in the organization will have important security, political, economic and cultural advantages for both sides, and that one of the main strategies to strengthen relations among member states is the development of preplanned activities concerning traditions and joint cultural rituals.
“The expansion of interactions between other member states of the SCO and Iran in cultural and artistic fields will help introduce historical and civilizational attractions of the ancient country and find effective ways to develop cultural diplomacy to thrive tourism industry and enhance regional convergence,” she argued.
Nowruz celebration is one of the important traditions, which is commonly marked by member states of the SCO, the researcher noted, adding that this event is also considered as a symbol of international peace and cultural collaboration between Iran and its neighboring states.
Nowruz ritual is so significant that the United Nations General Assembly ratified a resolution on February 23, 2010, to announce the Day of Nowruz as an international event, she said.
The draft resolution was presented by Iran’s representative at the UN and some other countries such as Azerbaijan Republic, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan supported the plan and India, Albania and Macedonia joined the group to ratify the resolution, she added.
The researcher went on to say that a research committee is needed to be established in Iran’s Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism in order to pursue the expansion of cooperation with the SCO member states in this regard.
Source: Islamic Republic News Agency – IRNA
