TEHRAN (Iran News) Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi says the Persian New Year, Nowruz, is a symbol of cultural bonds and fraternity among countries celebrating the ancient ritual.

Araqchi was speaking on Friday evening at the opening ceremony of the International Nowruz Festival, which was held at the iconic Azadi Square in Iran’s capital, Tehran. Ministers of culture and cultural heritage along with foreign ambassadors and groups of people were in attendance present as well.

“In the present challenging world, the need for dialogue, understanding and cooperation is sensed more than before. The Nowruz ritual per se carries the message of friendship and interaction,” said Araqchi at the ceremony held a week before the arrival of the Persian New Year.

The following is the full text of the top diplomat’s speech, which was shared on the official Telegram page of the Foreign Ministry’s spokesperson.

In the name of God, the Most Compassionate, the Most Merciful

Honorable  Ambassadors ,
Distinguished Heads of Offices of International Organizations ,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

It is a great honor for me today to be with you–the representatives of the nations who celebrate Norooz as their shared cultural heritage. Norooz goes beyond a national celebration; it is a symbol of cultural bonds, fraternity among nations, and respect to the nature and the time. Norooz—this ancient ritual—has been celebrated for centuries in a wide-spreading geography from South Asia to the Balkans and from Central Asia to the Caucuses as inspiring for hope, renewal and consolidation. This celebration reminds us of an age-old wisdom arising from the heart of history, and harbinger of tranquility, transformation and peaceful co-existence.

In Iran, Nowruz is not just a calendar event. It is indeed an opportunity to think about the past, review present and pin hope on a better future. This celebration gathers people together, rejuvenates good traditions and strengthens values such as compassion, empathy and generosity at the hearts of our people.

Distinguished colleagues,

In the present challenging world, the need for dialogue, understanding and cooperation is sensed more than before. The Nowruz ritual per se carries the message of friendship and interaction. This celebration illustrates that nations, irrespective of geographical borders and political differences, can get together around common human values and contribute to building a world for sustainable peace and friendship. The Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the birthplaces of this ancient tradition has consistently emphasized the significance of dialogue and cultural cooperation among the Nowruz-celebrating states. Therefore, we believe that this common heritage can provide a ground for expanding regional and international cooperation in cultural, economic and social spheres.

In conclusion, I’d like to felicitate this auspicious festive to all the friend nations. I hope this year’s Nowruz would carry peace, happiness and prosperity for all and guide us towards a world full of hope, unity and progress.

Also, I would like to appreciate my dear colleagues, Dr. Salehi , the Honorable Minister of Culture and Dr. Sahehi Amiri, the Honorable Minister of Cultural Heritage, Handicrafts and Tourism as well as  Dr. Ayoubi ,the Secretory of the National Committee for Celebrating Nowruz for organizing this valuable and glorious ceremony.

May you have a victorious New Year

May you have a Spring-like occasions.

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TEHRAN (Iran News) –Envoys and diplomats from Iran and eleven other countries held a ceremony on Wednesday to mark the Persian New Year, Nowruz, at the United Nations with the president of the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in attendance.

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On March 21, Iranians will celebrate Nowruz (New Year) and beginning of the New Year and opening of a new chapter in their lives. The current year 1401 is reaching its end while Iranians witnessed many ups and downs and many achievements and failures, and now it is expected people to have a promising year if they remain united and trust the officials who are working hard to bring unity and economic prosperity for the nation.

We can divide this year into two parts of post-eliminating official forex rate and post-Mahsa Amini death riots that both of them unbalanced the progress of the country and let the enemies take advantage of it to provoke people against the Islamic Revolution and its officials.

First in May, the government decided to have an economic surgery to treat the ailing economy and it eliminated preferential rate dollar which was sold for 4200 tomans for the imports and basic foods. In other words the government decided to reduce rent-seeking because of the cheap price dollar but it led to a sudden rise in the prices and also inflation because the goods and raw materials were forced to be imported with the new forex rate which was almost 4 times more than the preferential rate. Of course the government decided to increase the cash handouts to the people to help them to overcome the price hike. But the prices soared and gradually the government managed to control the pace of the price hike.

While the government was trying to bring peace and tranquility to the market, suddenly death of a young girl called Mahsa Amini happened which led to first protests but later to riots in September. The riots almost continued five months and it helped the enemies to manipulate the forex market and suddenly the price of each dollar from 28,000 tomans jumped to almost 60,000 tomans but some actions taken by the government could quieten the forex market and the price of dollar felled to around 42,000 tomans and it seems the government is controlling the condition and we may have a promising year next year if the current policies continue properly.

President Seyed Ebrahim Raisi has promised a better life in the next year and promised more successes for the nation.

Of course, the country despite such ups and down has continued its progresses regardless of those unhappy incidents. Everyday a new achievement in any sector was unveiled which showed that if Iranians decide to do something, they will make it and unveiling of military production achievements has always been on the spotlight but scientific achievements have sometimes gone unnoticed.

As we know every year the Supreme Leader chooses a name for the year to direct the country for progress based on the name and slogan. This year had been named year of knowledge-based production and job creation” and we have seen incredible rise in production and exports. According to the reports, Iran’s exports have increased by 17.7% in 10 months comparing to the same period last year and economic growth this year has increased. Although the figure is promising but due to high capacities of the country it can increase considerably if it is planned properly.

In August, Russia launched an Iranian satellite into orbit from southern Kazakhstan, just three weeks after President Vladimir Putin and Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei pledged to work together against the West. The move showed sign of strong determination between the two countries for bolstering the ties.

The remote Khayyam sensing satellite, named after the 11th Century Persian poet and philosopher Omar Khayyam, was launched by a Russian Soyuz rocket from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan and entered orbit successfully, Russia’s space agency said.

This is another achievement for the Islamic Revolution as the country is determined to put a satellite in the orbit by itself and it will happen in the near future.

Above all, the Islamic Republic of Iran has continued its peaceful nuclear program despite bully of the West and it seems the West has accepted Iran as a nuclear power for the peaceful purpose.

Of course the country under the leadership of the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei is on the right track of progress and prosperity despite the plots of the enemies who want to derail the Islamic Revolution from its right track.

Since the enemies are unable to stop the Islamic Republic of Iran from progress, they have resorted to create rift inside the country and people need to be wise and united against these plots if they want to have a successful country with better livelihood because the enemies every moment seeks to find some pretext to provoke the nation and to create a hurdle in the way of success but each time their plot is foiled under the wise and smart leadership of the Supreme Leader.

Now in March, Iran and Saudi Arabia has signed an agreement to thaw relation and it is good news for the region and Iranians because it once again showed Iran’s power either militarily or diplomatically and this agreement can minimize tension in the region and will help the national economy to improve.

So in the last minutes of the Iranian calendar year 1401, we predict a promising year for 1402 and unity among the nation will be the key factor for any national and even personal prosperity.

We also felicitate the nation and any people in the world who celebrate Nowruz because it is sign of spring and blossom of nature and it can be sign of blossom of the country in all arenas.

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Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the national projects including 526 cultural heritage and tourism projects in Iran, Rouhani called the economy based on the tourism industry as the source of prosperity and growth and development for the Islamic Republic of Iran.

526 cultural heritage and tourism projects in Iran with an investment value of 2537 billion Tomans will be inaugurated on Thursday via Video conferencing by the President.

Iran’s President in his speech also expressed hope that by the end of the current year through public vaccination the tourism will prosper.

The President said: “We hope that next year, with the public vaccination that will be carried out and the full observance of health protocols, we will see new conditions in Iran, and the tourism industry will prosper.

Rouhani on in the 69th week of the inauguration of important national projects, which was held via video conferencing, added: “When the number of hotel and accommodation beds across the country increases from 219,000 to 465,000, it means that we are seeing a boom in domestic and foreign tourism.”

“In the first six months of 1400 (Current Year corresponding to 2021), we also face problems, but at the same time I promise that the tourism situation will improve in the last months of this year when vaccinations will be carried out across the country,” he said, referring to coronavirus related difficulties which had affected tourism.

Rouhani thanked the officials of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage, Tourism and Handicrafts and private sector investors in these areas and emphasized: “We hope that Nowruz will flourish next year with the Public vaccination and in full compliance with the health protocols that are observed and we will see new conditions in the country.”

The inauguration ceremony was held through a video conference based in Tehran.

The projects which are located in north and west of the country will provide employment for 2,697 people.

A five star hotel in the gracious landscape of Heiran as well as renovation project of Amjad palace in Talesh both located in the northern province of Gilan are among the projects inaugurated today.

33 renovation projects together with two major tourism centers in western province of Lorestan were also officially opened by President Rouhani.

At his remarks, the president referred to return of 2,723 Iranian historical works and antiques from US and Europe to the country during past eight years.

As he stressed, such return was kind of fulfillment of the Iranian people’s rights.

Every week, the president opens several important projects on petrochemicals, oil, industry, tourism, sports, infrastructure, development and health to follow goals behind “Surge in Production” which is the name of the past Iranian year (March 20, 2020- March 20, 2021) declared by the Supreme Leader.

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