“Since the victory of 1979 Revolution, the Islamic Republic of Iran has always endeavored to realize the proximity and unity of Islamic communities and countries,” Jannati said on Monday, the Iranian administration website reported.

He also highlighted the country’s strong support for dialogue among religions, civilizations, cultures, and Islamic schools of thought, saying that cooperation among Islamic countries in this period of time is not an option, but a necessity.

Iran believes that the mere issuance of statements by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) is not enough, and that practical steps should be taken towards realization of cooperation among Muslim states, he added.

The Iranian minister made the remarks in an address to the 9th session of the Islamic Conference for Culture Ministers held in the Omani capital of Muscat.

“Undoubtedly, the most important goal of this conference is to realize cooperation, proximity, and evolution of culture and thought in a bid to protect unity and solidarity, progress and development of the Islamic world,” Jannati noted.

The theme of the three-day conference underway in Oman is “Towards Intermediary Developmental Culture for the Advancement of Islamic Societies”.