Tajik, Afghan presidents to celebrate Nowruz in Iran

Iran will host the Tajik and Afghan presidents in a ceremony to celebrate Nowruz in the Iranian city of Shiraz, Press TV reported.

The three Persian-speaking countries will celebrate Nowruz in the cultural city of Shiraz where the world-renowned poet Hafez is buried, Tehran Times reported.

According to Iran's Ambassador to Tajikistan Ali-Asghar Sherdoust, this will be the third trilateral meeting of officials from the three neighboring countries, following gatherings in Tajikistan and Afghanistan respectively.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad invited Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon during his recent trip to Tajikistan, Sherdoust added.

The Persian New year, which coincides with the first day of spring on the solar calendar, is mostly celebrated in Iran, Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Turkey and Uzbekistan.

For Iranians, Nowruz is a celebration of renewal and change, a time to visit relatives and friends, and pay respect to senior family members.

Nowruz was registered on UNESCO's List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity last September.