KABUL (Pajhwok): Deputy Minister of Information and Culture Mawlawi Qudratullah Jamal has asked the Iranian envoy to facilitate training opportunities and academic seminars in Iran for lecturers from the ministry’s Institute of Tourism and Hospitality.
In a statement, the Ministry of Information and Culture (MoIC) said Jamal met Iranian Ambassador Alireza Bigdeli and Iran’s cultural adviser Seyed Ruhollah Hosseini in Kabul.
It said the meeting focused on expanding tourism cooperation between Kabul and Tehran, improving facilities for tourists from both countries, easing travel for tourism, pilgrimage, medical treatment and education, developing joint cultural programmes and increasing visitor movement through enhanced bilateral coordination.
Jamal said Afghanistan and Iran enjoy friendly relations and stressed the need to strengthen cooperation in tourism, medical travel, education and the transport of pilgrims travelling to Karbala.
He requested the Iranian ambassador to facilitate training courses and academic seminars in Iran for lecturers at the MoIC’s Institute of Tourism and Hospitality so they could benefit from Iranian expertise and academic experience.
He added that a memorandum of understanding (MoU) would be prepared to expand bilateral cooperation and would be signed after finalisation.
For his part, Ambassador Bigdeli said Afghanistan and Iran share deep religious, cultural and civilisational ties.
He reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to expanding cooperation and improving facilities in tourism and pilgrimage sectors, saying exchange of experience between the two countries would support the growth of the tourism industry.
The ambassador also said that, in coordination with relevant institutions in both countries, specialised training seminars for lecturers of tourism and hospitality institutes would be organised and conducted by Iranian instructors.
Both sides stressed the need to expand cooperation in cultural and tourism sectors, maintain coordination and strengthen bilateral relations in these fields, the statement added.
kk/sa
