Azernews.Az

YEREVAN – Armenian President Serzh Sargsyan has said the Novruz holiday celebrations are an opportunity to develop relations between the people of Armenia and Iran.

He told an international event in Tehran devoted to Novruz, the Persian new year which marks the transition from winter to spring, that he was pleased to participate in the festivities being held in the neighboring country.

"This holiday has been marked with nice traditions in our region for millennia in a friendly atmosphere," Sargsyan said.

During his visit to Iran, Sargsyan met with his counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. The two leaders discussed bilateral relations, including cultural ties, as well as the construction of a railway that will link the two countries.

The Tehran event was joined by senior officials from more than a dozen regional countries. Presidents Jalal Talabani of Iraq, Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan and Emomali Rakhmon of Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan’s Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov were among participants. Participants said the event would pave the way for strengthening political, economic and cultural relations among their countries.

It is the second straight year that Ahmadinejad has invited regional leaders to celebrate Novruz. Conservative leaders have criticised this year’s celebration after deadly anti-government protests rocked the Arab world.

Azerbaijan was represented at the event by Deputy Prime Minister Elchin Afandiyev. Hosting the Azerbaijani official on Monday, President Ahmadinejad said the relations between Iran and Azerbaijan are fraternal and "not a single factor can disrupt these relations", according to the Iranian president’s website.

"Iran considers Azerbaijan’s development as its own and is ready to cooperate in all areas, serving the interests of both nations," Ahmadinejad said.

Novruz is celebrated on March 21, the day of the vernal equinox, by more than 300 million people worldwide. It has been marked for more than 3,000 years in the Balkans, the Black Sea Basin, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Middle East and other regions.