TEHRAN – Iran is planning to hold the fifth edition of a gastronomy festival in Armenia, with a focus on promoting the country’s culinary heritage, national tourism brand, and handicrafts, the deputy tourism minister said.

Anoushirvan Mohseni-Bandpei made the remarks on Saturday during a ceremony unveiling posters for cultural and tourism events at the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts, IRNA reported. 

He said the festival, which has successfully held four previous editions, attracted around 30,000 visitors in Armenia, demonstrating its potential to draw targeted audiences and strengthen public diplomacy.

“Strengthening cultural diplomacy, introducing the country’s capacities in souvenirs, cuisine and handicrafts, and supporting the private sector while facilitating procedures to reduce government involvement are among the main objectives of such events,” he said.

Mohseni-Bandpei described cultural festivals as an opportunity for “soft diplomacy” amid what he called media campaigns against Iran, saying such initiatives could help counter Iranophobia by creating connections between nations and bringing different cultures closer together.

He noted that Iran and Armenia are currently among each other’s major tourism destinations and said cultural cooperation could further strengthen ties between the two countries.

Mohseni-Bandpei said lessons learned from the previous four editions would be used to improve the quality of the fifth festival, adding that organizers had conducted assessments to identify strengths and weaknesses.

He, however, did not announce a specific date for holding the event in Armenia.

AM