DUSHANBE, March 24, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajik President Emomali Rahmon will visit Iran from March 26-27 to attend Navrouz celebrations that will take place in Tehran and Shiraz, the source at the government told Asia-Plus on March 24.
“On the sidelines of the Navrouz Festival, Emomali Rahmon is expected to hold bilateral talks with his counterparts from Iran (Mahmoud Ahmadinejad) and Afghanistan (Hamid Karzai) as well as Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani to discuss bilateral cooperation in sectors like trade, agriculture, transportation infrastructure and energy,” the source said.
In the meantime, Iran’s news agency, IRNA, reported on March 24 that presidents of Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Iraq will attend World Navrouz Festival, due to be held in Tehran from March 26-27.
IRNA quoted Director General of the International Affairs Department at the office in charge of organizing the World Navrouz Festival Mohammad-Reza Forqani as saying on Thursday that Kyrgyz deputy prime minister, Qatari Crown Prince Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani, Omani Foreign Minister Youssef bin Alawi bin Abdullah and an Azeri official will also attend the event.
On the sidelines of the festival, the countries’ officials will meet with Supreme Leader of Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei and President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, giving speeches on Navrouz, Forqani said, adding that Navrouz Commemoration Secretariat will also be opened on the sidelines of the festival.
