Iran's Cultural Week underway in Russia

Iran's Ambassador to Russia Mehdi Sanaei and the head of the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization of Iran Abouzar Ebrahimi Torkaman took part in the opening ceremony.
In his inaugural speech, Sanaei recalled that cultural programs played an important role in upgrading relations and introducing Iran's culture to other nations.
Ancient Iranian culture, art and tradition as well as to the international standing of Russian literature and art provide an appropriate opportunity for expanding cultural cooperation in parallel with economic, political and humanitarian ties, he noted.
Also addressing the audience, Ebrahimi Torkaman said, "Today Iranian artists and Muslims are holding cultural week programs in all over the world to convey Iran's message of friendship, brotherhood and proximity."
Stepanov Pavel Vladimirovich, an adviser to the Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation, in a message to the gathering, said expansion of cultural relations between the two countries is necessary given the age-old ties between the two countries.
"Iran and Russia have broadened cultural relations day-by-day in the past couple of years and artists, musicians and cineastes of the two countries have established close bilateral relations in this period," read a part of his message.
He called for the need to implement the agreements reached between Iran and Russia, and urged the two countries to regularly hold cultural weeks in each other's cities.
The Russian minister also hoped to witness further development in cultural relations between the two countries.