1st int’l confab of Islamic world publishers starts in Tehran

Tehran, June 20, IRNA – The 1st international conference of Islamic World’s Publishers started here Sunday in the presence of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

The two-day conference is attended by publishers from 32 Islamic states.

It is organized by Ministry of Foreign Affairs with the cooperation of Organization of the Islamic Culture and Communications, Organization of the State Libraries and Documents and the World Forum for the Proximity of the Islamic Schools of Thoughts.

Five expert panels are to be held on the sidelines of the conference to discuss situation of electronic publishing in the Islamic world, publishing of the Holy Quran as well as rights of Muslim authors, publishers and translators.

Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini as well as a number of senior domestic officials also were present in the opening session.

Addressing the ceremony, Secretary General of the conference Ali Zarei Najafdari said establishing effective interaction among publishers of the Islamic world was one of the most important goals of the gathering.

He said that making Muslim publishers further familiar with each other and preparing the necessary grounds for promotion of cooperation among them were other top objectives of the international gathering.

The official said although conducting of the conference was the first step towards promotion of effective cultural interaction among Muslim states, it could help strengthen their multilateral cooperation and produce cultural products which would be more compatible with the tastes of the Islamic world./end