Tehran, March 27: Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and Tajik President Emomali Rahmon have highlighted the key role of Nowruz as a means to strengthen national identity.
During a meeting in Tehran on Saturday, the two officials stressed the importance of Nowruz in establishing unity and solidarity among the nations of the region, IRNA reported.
The Tajik president arrived in Tehran on Saturday to attend a ceremony celebrating the Iranian new year of Nowruz, slated for March 27 and 28.
President Ahmadinejad noted that Nowruz is an occasion to celebrate the close ties between the regional countries, adding that the festival can bridge gaps between nations.
——–Agencies
Ahmadinejad praised close cultural ties between Tehran and Dushanbe, saying that due to various cultural commonalities between Iranians and Tajiks — including the Persian language — they share a bond that goes beyond the countries’ borders.
For his part, Rahmon stressed that Nowruz can shield countries from Western decadence.
Earlier in the week, Iranian Minister of Culture and Islamic Guidance Mohammad Hosseini said that cultural, linguistic and religious backgrounds between Iran and Tajikistan can promote stronger ties.
The first cultural week of the Islamic Republic of Iran kicked off on Wednesday in the Tajik capital Dushanbe and northern city of Khujand in an effort to introduce Persian art and culture. The event will run through March 27.
Iran is hosting senior officials from 20 countries at the International Nowruz Celebrations.
Nowruz, celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox, is the first day of spring in northern hemisphere. It is observed in 11 countries, namely the Islamic Republic of Iran, Afghanistan, Albania, Azerbaijan, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkey, and Turkmenistan.
The International Day of Nowruz was registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on February 23, 2010.