Iran pitches seven SCO cultural initiatives, from Silk Road heritage to video games
Salehi says culture ‘true alternative’ to violence, unilateralism
Iran proposed seven regional cultural initiatives, ranging from joint Silk Road heritage nominations to collaborative animation and video game production, at the 23rd Meeting of Culture Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, on Sunday.
Culture Minister Abbas Salehi described culture as "the true alternative to violence and unilateralism" and reaffirmed Iran's readiness to deepen cultural cooperation across the bloc.
Addressing ministers from SCO member states, Salehi described culture as "the common language of nations and a bridge to mutual understanding and solidarity," saying the organization has, for more than two decades, treated culture as a pillar of confidence-building and people-to-people ties rather than a peripheral field, farhang.gov.ir reported.
He said Iranian civilization, with its millennia-old cultural heritage, has consistently regarded culture as the foundation of sustainable development, justice, peaceful coexistence and human dignity.
“Iranian civilization has always pursued a culture of peace alongside the defense of national dignity,” Salehi said, adding that Iran, like all independent nations, seeks “justice, national sovereignty and human dignity.”
Calling SCO members heirs to one of the world's richest civilizational spheres, shaped by centuries of exchanges along the historic Silk Road, Salehi said their shared legacy places a collective responsibility on member states to preserve, revive and pass it on to future generations.
To strengthen that mission, Iran unveiled seven proposals for expanded cultural cooperation. They include preparing joint UNESCO nominations for Silk Road cultural and intangible heritage, establishing an SCO network of civilizational and cultural studies centers linking universities, libraries and research institutes, and organizing regular cultural weeks among member states.
Salehi also proposed expanding co-productions in cinema and documentaries centered on family, ethics, identity, historical heritage and the Silk Road.
He further called for reciprocal translation and publication of major literary works, closer cooperation among national libraries and archives to digitize and restore manuscripts, and joint projects in creative industries, animation, video games and digital content to engage younger generations.
He said the region’s future should be built not on “exhausting rivalries” but on mutual cultural understanding, respect for civilizational diversity and broader human cooperation.
“Today, more than ever, we need cultural diplomacy,” Salehi said. “A diplomacy that brings nations closer together and defends reason, ethics and humanity against hatred and war.”
The minister said Iran stands ready to work with all SCO members to build “a future based on mutual respect, cultural diversity, justice and shared prosperity.”
On the sidelines of the ministerial meeting, Salehi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from participating countries, meet Iranian studies scholars, Persian-language professors and academics in Kyrgyzstan, attend the SCO International Film Festival awards ceremony, and participate in official events hosted by the Kyrgyz Ministry of Culture.
The 23rd Meeting of Culture Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization is being held in Cholpon-Ata, Kyrgyzstan, from July 16 to July 20, bringing together cultural leaders from the organization's member states to advance cooperation in heritage preservation, cultural exchange and creative industries.