During Navrouz celebrations, President Emomali Rahmon will pay working visit to the southern Khatlon province. His visit to Bokhtar, the capital of Khatlon province, is scheduled for March 22.
President’s adviser for social issues and public relations, Abdujabbor Rahmonzoda, says the main purpose of the visit is for the president to get acquainted with preparations for the 30th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence that will be marked on September 9 this year.
Nosirjon Mamourzoda, a spokesman for Khatlon governor, also noted that president’s visit to Bokhtar would be carried out “outside of festive events.”
“We are making preparations for president’s visit to the province. All cities and districts of the province will celebrate the 30th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence at high level,” Mamourzoda told Asia-Plus in an interview.
In accordance with direction of the Standing Committee on COVID-19 Response, it is allowed to carry out cultural activities in parks, he added.
Mrzoolim Saidov, an official with the Ministry of Culture, had previously noted that no grandiose events are planned this year in the country on the occasion of the Navrouz festival due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Navrouz, which literary means New Day in Persian, Dari and Tajik languages, is the traditional Iranian new year holiday, celebrated by Iranian and many other peoples. It marks the first day of spring and is celebrated on the day of the astronomical vernal equinox (the start of spring in the northern hemisphere), which usually occurs on March 21 or the previous/following day depending on where it is observed. Today, the festival of Navrouz is celebrated in many countries, including Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, as well as Azerbaijan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan. Many peoples in West and South Asia, Northeast China, the Crimea, as well as Albania, Bosnia, Kosovo and Macedonia also celebrate this holiday.
In September 2009, the UN's cultural agency, UNESCO, included Navrouz in its list of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. On February 23, 2010, the United Nations General Assembly recognized the International Day of Navrouz.
