On November 21, the Minister of Culture of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Adil Karimli, met with a delegation led by Saeed Reza Salehi Amiri, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, who was visiting Azerbaijan in connection with COP29.

Axar.az reports that according to the Ministry of Culture, Adil Karimli welcomed the delegation and expressed gratitude to his Iranian counterpart for participating in such a prestigious event hosted by Azerbaijan. He emphasized the broad prospects for cultural cooperation between Azerbaijan and Iran in areas such as libraries, museums, exhibitions, and joint activities in cinematography. He also highlighted the importance of mutual participation in traditional music festivals and competitions, which could strengthen ties. Opportunities for collaboration at the level of international organizations were also discussed, as well as preparing joint nomination files for including cultural heritage items in UNESCO’s lists and combating the illegal circulation of cultural assets.

Minister Saeed Reza Salehi Amiri expressed satisfaction with participating in COP29 and thanked his Azerbaijani counterpart for the meeting. He emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to develop relations across various fields and expressed interest in mutually beneficial cooperation.

The Iranian minister emphasized the necessity of public-private partnerships in preserving cultural heritage. He noted that experience exchange in this field could be conducted between the two countries. Additionally, he proposed the possibility of jointly restoring the Khudafarin Bridges over the Araz River.

During the meeting, cultural heritage and environmental issues within the COP29 framework were discussed, along with other areas of mutual interest.

At the end of the meeting, Adil Karimli presented a keepsake to the Iranian minister.