The international ceremony to mark choosing Tabriz as the Islamic World tourism capital called ‘Tabriz 2018’ started with the attendance of Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday.

Tourism ministers and ambassadors of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Afghanistan, Iraq, Armenia, Bangladesh, Uzbekistan, Switzerland, Norway, Turkmenistan, Bulgaria, Tajikistan and Belarus have been invited to the event, Head of Foreign Ministry Office in East Azarbaijan, Esmaeel Ragheb earlier told the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) on Wednesday.

Mayors of Istanbul, Kazan and Baku who have sisterhood agreements with Tabriz also participated in the event, he said. Some cabinet ministers also attended Tabriz 2018.

Tabriz, the third largest city in Iran, has a special place in the history and economy of the country. The city has been chosen by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) as tourism capital of the Islamic World in 2018. / irna/