Amman, Sept. 24 (Petra) -- Jordan and Syria are set to strengthen cultural cooperation through a range of joint programs and initiatives, Minister of Culture Mustafa Rawashdeh and his Syrian counterpart Mohammad Yassin Saleh said Thursday.

The two ministers discussed ways to enhance cultural ties during a meeting at the Royal Cultural Center in Amman, held ahead of the opening ceremony of the 25th Amman International Book Fair, where Syria is participating as the guest of honor.

Rawashdeh expressed his appreciation for Syria’s participation in the fair, highlighting the country’s rich cultural heritage and longstanding cultural depth.

He also briefed Saleh on the main activities being organized by the Ministry of Culture during the current and upcoming period, including the 11th edition of the Jordan Film Festival.

Rawashdeh said the ministry will soon implement the "Our Jordan in Our Eyes" program as part of the Jordanian Narrative Project. The initiative will focus on photographing and documenting heritage, archaeological and tourist sites, as well as natural landscapes across all governorates of the Kingdom.

He added that Jordan and Syria will soon sign a memorandum of understanding covering a number of cultural programs and areas of cooperation.

For his part, Saleh outlined the cultural projects being implemented by the Syrian Ministry of Culture, with particular focus on areas related to intangible cultural heritage, including traditional pottery and other heritage-related fields.

He said the memorandum would provide an opportunity for Syria to benefit from Jordan’s cultural experience, particularly in a number of programs and projects implemented by the Jordanian Ministry of Culture.

//Petra//WH