Iran, Armenia ink agreement on culture, cinema

Iran's Farabi Cinema Foundation and National Cinema Center of Armenia have signed an agreement to broaden cooperation in joint movie production.

Directors of the two organizations inked the extendable agreement for a period of three years in the Armenian Ministry of Culture on September 25.

Approved by both countries’ culture ministries, the agreement is aimed to promote and expand cultural cooperation, especially in joint cinema projects.

The agreement is to be considered as a basis for long-term collaboration with the National Cinema Center of Armenia in different fields, including research, festivals, technology, operations, film distribution and screening, as well as education.

Iran envoy to Russia Kazem Sajjadi and Armenian Culture Minister Armen Amiryan also met in the Armenian capital to review ways to promote mutual cultural ties.

Sajjadi said “Cultural engagements can serve as the foundation and a starting point for mutual expansion of relations in other spheres.”

The Armenian Culture Minister also called for developing cultural ties between Iran and Armenia and said the two nations can show the commonalities by carrying out joint movie production projects.

In another meeting, the director of Farabi Cinema Foundation Alireza Tabesh and the Head of National Cinema Center of Armenia Shushanik Mirzakhanyan proposed suggestions which were embraced by both sides.

Iran and Armenia will assign two professional teams in order to implement the proposals.

Earlier in July, senior Iranian and Armenian officials agreed on development of scientific and research collaboration during a meeting in Yerevan.

Then, an Iranian lawmaker and an Armenian Science Ministry's official talked about different ways to expand educational and research cooperation between Tehran and Yerevan.

MG/MG