Mohammad Jafari Malak, Mohsen Shojakhani, and Ahmed Abdollahpour, the chairman and deputy chairmen of the CCCACD met with Ms. Dr. Jalali, the Deputy of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, Ms. Tavahodi, Director General for Development and Promotion of Handicrafts, and Mr. Ojani, Director General of Marketing, and discussed regional cooperation.

At the beginning of this meeting, Mr. Jafari Malak, Chairman of the Cultural Coordination Center of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue (CCCACD) briefed their hosts about the cultural programs of the ACD and pointed out that since according to the changes that took place in the Blueprint of the ACD the issue of tourism has been added to the field of cultural cooperation CCCACD is prepared to do the required coordination with the ACD member states for holding joint programs in the fields of tourism and handicrafts.

Thereafter, while giving a brief history of the establishment of the Asia Cooperation Dialogue and the process of the formation of the ACD Cultural Coordination Center, Mr. Abdollahpour, Deputy Chairman of this Center, stated: The periodic presidency of the Islamic Republic of Iran on ACD in the year ahead and Iran’s hosting of the ACD Cultural Coordination Center is a good opportunity and capacity to take advantage of the existing potential in realizing the country’s cultural and tourism goals. He then added: Therefore, one of the programs envisaged for this center, which falls under the scope of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, is “Revival of Silk Road’s culture”, which requires that a plan should be designed and sent to the member countries to involve their participation.

Expressing her happiness about the existence of this capacity in the Islamic Republic of Iran and declaring the readiness of her department for cooperation in the fields of handicrafts, Ms. Dr. Jalali stated that since “Fajr International Handicrafts Festival” will be held in February 2024 and we can expand this festival to ACD countries in collaboration with the ACD Cultural Coordination Center. She also stated that her department is ready to expand the “International Tourism Exhibition” that is going to be held in March to include ACD member countries.

At the suggestion of Mr. Shojakhani, it was decided that a working plan be designed in this regard and its details be discussed in the next meeting between the two sides.