A diplomatic ceremony honoring Novruz was held in Tehran on Monday with the participation of representatives of 80 countries, including Turkmenistan.
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, Minister of Science, Research and Technology of Iran Mansour Gholami, President of the Institute of Culture of the Organization for Economic Cooperation Sarvar Bakhti, ambassadors and diplomats of many countries took part in the solemn event.
“Globalization means inseparability from each other, and Nowruz teaches people to be with nature,” said Mr. Zarif at the ceremony. He also emphasized that Novruz calls for clearing the hearts from resentment and hostility.
Creative teams from different provinces of Iran performed during the event, and there were shown local rituals of Nowruz, including traditional cuisine.
In 2009, Novruz was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and since then, March 21 has been declared as the International Day of Novruz. Novruz is celebrated as a public holiday in Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Albania, Georgia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Macedonia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.