Salehi made the remark on Friday during his official visit to St. Petersburg, where he participated in the 11th St. Petersburg International Forum of United Cultures taking place on September 11-13. He attended the event at the invitation of his Russian counterpart.
As part of his visit, he toured the Institute of Oriental Manuscripts of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which houses manuscripts in 165 languages.
During his meeting with Russian Iranologists, Salehi emphasized the potential for bilateral collaboration in the field of Iranology, focusing on strengthening information exchange, expanding academic networks, and enhancing the economic foundations of Iranology research.
Reflecting on his own scholarly background, Salehi noted that over the past two centuries, hundreds of Iranologists have emerged from St. Petersburg, contributing to a robust foundation for the study of Iranian culture and history.
He tasked the Cultural Attaché of the Iranian Embassy in Moscow with establishing a media framework and information infrastructure to facilitate exchanges in Iranology between research centers in both countries.
Salehi also visited the National Library of Russia, founded in 1795 as the country’s first public library and recognized by Russian sources as one of the five largest libraries in the world.
In a meeting with the head of the Library and senior researchers, he praised the institution as a global treasure, particularly in its contributions to Iranology.
In a joint initiative, Iranian and Russian officials agreed to compile a comprehensive catalog of Persian manuscripts preserved in Russian collections.