The presidential office chief of staff proposed establishment of a joint academy by the three Persian-speaking countries of Iran, Tajikistan and Afghanistan, Tehran Times reported.
Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii put forward the proposal during the opening ceremony of the International Congress of World Teachers of Persian Language and Literature at the University of Tehran on Tuesday.
Hundreds of Iranian and foreign scholars have attended the two-day congress.
Rahim-Mashaii also said that although the variety of Persian dialects adds to the beauty of the language, it would put obstacles in the way of development of the Persian language if not taken into consideration.
"Developing the Persian language is an international responsibility not only for Iranians but also for all Tajik and Afghan individuals. The Persian-speaking and even non-Persian-speaking countries should feel responsible for reviving the language," he said.
The two-day biennial aims to provide an opportunity for the participants to exchange viewpoints on methods of teaching the Persian language.
The Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini, University of Tehran Chancellor Farhad Rahbar, and the Islamic Culture and Relations Organization (ICRO) director Mohammad-Baqer Khorramshad also spoke briefly at the opening ceremony.
Culture minister Hosseini was next who proposed Iran's House of Books compile bibliographies of contemporary Iranian authors such as Hushang Moradi Kermani and Jalal Al-e Ahmad.
"Today in most universities in the world, Persian language and literature is being taught. Western Iranologists also believe that Persian poetry and literature enjoy high status among the world's literati."
He next referred to the poetry of Hafez and Rumi that has been translated into several foreign languages around the world.
Khorramshad spoke next and said, "Promoting Persian is the national duty of all Iranian individuals. The Persian language is also a living part of our intangible heritage."
Post-revolutionary literature, comparative literature and modern methods of learning Persian are among the main topics to be discussed during the 7th edition of the congress.
Photo: Presidential Office Chief of Staff Esfandiar Rahim-Mashaii (2nd from right) and a number of Iranian officials unveil copies of Persian learning software after the opening ceremony of the International Congress of World Teachers of Persian Language and Literature at the University of Tehran on January 18, 2011.