Iranian culture minister attends UNESCO General Conference in Paris

TEHRAN,Oct.29(MNA) -- Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini is attending UNESCO’s 36th session of the General Conference at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris. Iran’s participation in these types of sessions provides an opportunity to discuss issues related to establishing lasting peace and cultural diversity in the region, Hosseini told on Thursday. The minister asked UNESCO to think over its strong and weak points over the 60 years of its existence providing a basis for reinforcing this large organization, reads part of the message Hosseini delivered at the conference. Culture is the place to convert ugliness to beauty and separation to sympathy. We Iranians have always put culture on top during our thousands of years of civilization and have communicated with the world through our culture, read other part of the speech. He also requested UNESCO to pay due attention to expansion of peace and stressed the necessity to support the oppressed people of Palestine. Presided over by Hungary’s Ambassador to UNESCO Katalin Bogyay, the General Conference is running from October 25 to November 10. Hosseini also met with several ministers from various countries including Indonesia, Syria, Iraq, Oman and Cuba and discussed expansion of cultural relations. He held talks with the Indian Minister of Communications and Information Technology Kapil Sibal and expressed hope to develop bilateral relations based on cultural and historical affinities. Sibal also announced that Indian cinema is ready to expand cooperation with Iranian cinema.