TEHRAN – Iran and Russia have agreed to collaborate on producing films jointly, IRNA reported on Wednesday. Russia and Iran have agreed to form a dynamic partnership focused on joint film production, Minister of Culture of the Russian Federation Olga Lyubimova announced on Tuesday in a joint press conference with Iran's Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad-Mehdi Esmaeili, who is currently in Moscow.The delegations of both countries recently concluded official negotiations and came to an agreement to arrange an array of cultural events.This agreement could bring together the brightest minds and talents in the cinema industry from both nations, Lyubimova said.The cultural events will include the highly anticipated cultural heritage festival of the Caspian Sea littoral states and the spiritual culture conference scheduled to take place in Tehran, she noted.She also emphasized the development of bilateral cooperation between the two countries in all sectors.For his part, Esmaeili said that Iran and Russia, as two important players in the international arena, are actively engaging in various fields of cooperation.It is widely expected that the cultural sphere will be a crucial arena to complement their achievements, he added. The Islamic Republic and Russia should enhance their cultural ties by expanding their cooperation in cinema, literature, theater, and music, he noted. During the meeting with the Russian Minister of Culture, it was agreed to facilitate cultural dialogues between the elites of both countries, he said.It is important to acknowledge the sincere efforts of the Russian Government towards fostering cultural relations, he stated.Last week, Iran’s Farabi Cinema Foundation (FCF) and Russia’s Red Square GC signed a memorandum of understanding.The MOU was inked by FCF director Mehdi Javadi and Red Square GC CEO Ilya Krivitsky in Moscow.Red Square GC is actively engaged in various media businesses including TV, filmmaking, TV series, Internet, copyright distribution, advertising and showbiz. Red Square’s TV projects are well-known to and favored by the viewers.

They include entertainment, music and comedy shows, as well as auteur projects and talk shows on the First Channel, STS, TV Center and Perets TV channel.Javadi was in Moscow by an invitation from Anton Kobyakov, an advisor to the Russian president and executive secretary of the St.

Petersburg International Economic Forum’s Organizing Committee.Based on the MOU, Red Square GC will help to promote films produced at the Farabi Cinema Foundation.Earlier last month, the foundation also signed a memorandum of understanding with the Russian Cinematographers’ Union to cooperate on joint film projects.The MOU will also ease the way for organizing film weeks and festivals and conducting joint research projects.In a meeting with Javadi, the union’s president, Nikita Mikhalkov, called the Oscars a race that is handled by the White House and CIA and suggested the launching of a joint film prize by Russia, Iran, China, India and countries in Latin America and Eurasia.ABU/