Amirkhani said the cultural ties linking Iran, Türkiye, Central Asia and the Caucasus require “real cultural synergy,” urging national libraries to move “beyond polite cooperation” and work jointly to safeguard the region’s shared documentary heritage.

He said national libraries carry a strategic responsibility to preserve the region’s “collective memory,” expand access to knowledge and support diverse communities through inclusive cultural programs.

Amirkhani outlined Tehran’s recent efforts in manuscript preservation and bibliographic modernization, noting expanded pre-publication cataloguing, tightened legal-deposit procedures and efforts to integrate scattered materials into a coherent national collection. Updated national standards and new digital services for provincial centers are intended to make resources more reliable for researchers.

During a plenary session on digital transformation, he pressed institutions to replace outdated systems and adopt advanced technologies — from mass-digitization and environmental-control tools to forensic imaging for manuscript analysis — to meet rising user expectations and protect fragile materials from handling, environmental stress and security risks.

He highlighted Iran’s recent bilateral projects with Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Armenia, Uzbekistan and Russia, saying practical joint cataloguing, staff exchanges and cross-border training “do far more than ceremonial agreements,” helping countries share expertise and offset the high cost of preservation technologies.

Delegates from ECO member states, including Turkey’s national library chief and a representative from its Culture and Tourism Ministry, reviewed national statements, thematic proposals and ideas for new working groups. Members selected Kazakhstan to host the next meeting.