Iranian cultural office in Pretoria reaches out to bolster relations

Cultural Counsellor of the Islamic Republic of Iran in South Africa Seyed Mostafa Daryabari during a media meet-up at the Cultural Consulate of Iran in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers

Cultural Counsellor of the Islamic Republic of Iran in South Africa Seyed Mostafa Daryabari during a media meet-up at the Cultural Consulate of Iran in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers

Published May 20, 2024

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The Islamic Republic of Iran cultural office in Pretoria has reached out to South Africans to bolster more understanding about the nation’s way of life.

Iran has recently joined intergovernmental organisation BRICS that includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa.

From early this year, the organisation extended its membership to what is now known as BRICS+ that includes Iran, Egypt, Ethiopia, and the United Arab Emirates.

Titled “Exploring Iranian culture and connectivity”, the country’s cultural wing hosted the media in a meet and greet on Friday as efforts to join the two countries in understanding one another's cultures.

Some of the items on display at the Islamic Republic of Iran’s Cultural Consulate in Pretoria. Picture: Jacques Naude / Independent Newspapers

On joining BRICS+, Daryabari said it was because BRICS+ was a coalition that discouraged domination.

“Let me express my gratitude to SA for making an effort to support us to be a member of BRICS+ … What attracted Iran to join is because it's a kind of coalition that discourages any country to dominate another, like in my culture.

“So I don’t say my culture, my tradition. It's a matter of working together to develop the society that we are, and that's why we came to BRICS,” he said.

Daryabari said the country had many cultural activities in the pipeline targeting education, sport and the arts.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za

Pretoria News