Iran calls for ‘redefining relations’ with Uzbekistan based on shared heritage
Iran and Uzbekistan agreed to step up cooperation in tourism and cultural exchanges, officials said on Friday, highlighting their shared “deep roots” and calling for a “strategic” upgrade of ties.
Reza Salehi Amiri, Iran’s Minister of Cultural Heritage, Tourism, and Handicrafts, met with Umid Shadiev, Uzbekistan Deputy Minister of Environment and Head of the State Tourism Committee, in Tashkent, IRNA reported.
Speaking during the talks, Salehi Amiri stressed that relations between the two nations should be “redefined” on the basis of common heritage, rather than “conventional diplomacy.” He warned that Uzbekistan’s share of Iranian outbound travel remains “tiny,” blaming “mutual negligence” in promoting each other’s tangible and intangible treasures.
Recalling his trips to Samarkand and Bukhara, Salehi Amiri said Iranians feel a “sense of closeness” to Uzbekistan’s architecture and culture. He called for cultural tourism that would not only offer new experiences but also revive “civilizational memory.”
To drive cooperation forward, Salehi Amiri proposed three main steps: signing a comprehensive agreement, promoting both countries’ tourism assets through media and influencers, and holding joint exhibitions in cities like Tehran, Samarkand, Bukhara, Isfahan, and Shiraz.
Salehi Amiri also mentioned preliminary agreements with Uzbek officials to hold a joint handicrafts festival and announced Iran’s readiness to host a bilateral tourism investment summit.
“The groundwork for doubling tourist exchanges is ready,” he said, urging both sides to “take the relationship to a strategic level.”
Shadiev welcomed Iran’s outreach, calling for a “new chapter” in ties through a strategic document in tourism. He described Iran’s International Tourism Exhibition as a “unique event” and expressed regret at missing the latest edition due to scheduling conflicts. However, he pledged a stronger Uzbek presence at future events.
Shadiev, who had previously visited Iran, said he felt he had “recovered part of his own identity” during the trip, noting the “deep, authentic” cultural connections between the two nations. He also proposed academic partnerships between Uzbekistan’s Silk Road University and Iran’s Research Institute of Cultural Heritage.
Toward the end of the meeting, Salehi Amiri invited a high-level Uzbek delegation to attend the Tehran tourism fair and called for joint exhibitions in historical Iranian cities.
He underscored Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian’s “political will” to deepen ties with Central Asia, particularly Uzbekistan, saying, “It is now up to us to turn this strategic will into cultural and tourism policymaking and pave the way for civilizational synergy.”