UNESCO participates in Third International ECO- Silk Road Food Festival in Zanjan Province

The third “International ECO-Silk Road Food Festival” was held in Zanjan, Iran on 10-12 May 2017, within the framework of the International Year of Tourism for Sustainable Development, AVA Diplomatic reports.

The Festival was hosted by Zanjan Provincial Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization and co-organized with the ECO Secretariat. The Food festival attracted representatives from Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey as well as Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Palestine.

The UNESCO Tehran Cluster Office participated in the Festival and show-cased its publications and activities in culture and tourism at the exhibition space. Several NGOs and a sizeable number of local restaurants and handicrafts producers also participated in the exhibition this year.

Mr. Ahsan Ali Mangi, Deputy Secretary General of ECO, Mr. Namvar Motlagh, Handicrafts Deputy of the Iranian Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism Organization (ICHHTO), and the Governor of Zanjan all delivered speeches during the opening ceremony of the Festival, which was presided over by H.E. Ms. Zahara Ahmadipur, Vice- President of the Islamic Republic of Iran and Head of ICHHTO.

In his statement the ECO Deputy Secretary-General praised the Festival and said that revival of the Ancient Silk Road would contribute to the development of the tourism industry in the ECO Region.

The Festival was attended by several members of the Iranian Parliament and other high-ranking officials, as well as ambassadors and diplomats based in Tehran.