Iran, Syria Trying to Launch Joint TV Channel

“We are trying to launch a joint television channel and pursue the two countries’ long-term goals in the unity of Islamic countries via that channel,” Ali Jannati said in a meeting with Syria’s Minister of Religious Endowments Muhammad Abd al-Sattar al-Sayyid, here in Tehran on Saturday.

The meeting also saw the two ministers sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on a wide range of cultural, religious and charity issues.

According to Jannati, the two Muslim nations have also agreed to broaden ties via exchange of scientific and cultural experiences, as well as exchange of university students.

The Syrian minister, for his part, praised the idea of a joint TV channel as a “big measure” and insisted that it should replace "Wahhabi-affiliated" channels.

“We must emphasize the Islamic unity issues and proximity of schools of thought in this channel,” Sayyid explained.

Iran enjoys close cultural ties with the neighboring and regional countries, the Muslim nations in particular.

On September 8, Ali Jannati and Omani minister of information explored avenues for further expansion of cultural ties between the two countries.

Jannati said in the meeting with the Omani official Abdul Munim bin-Monosur al-Hassani that Iran is ready to give some Iranian TV serials dubbed into Arabic to Oman to be aired in that country’s TV networks.

The Iranian culture minister also attributed cordial relations between the two countries to their long cultural, artistic and media ties and expressed the hope that the Omani information minister’s visit to Iran would further strengthen such ties.

The minister of information of Oman, too, said that the "two countries’ ties and cooperation are fortunately deep-rooted and on the rise," and that visits of high-ranking officials can give them a boost.