Iranian President to Visit Afghanistan Thursday

(FNA)- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is due to pay a visit to Afghanistan on Thursday in a bid to participate in the international Nowruz (the beginning of the New Persian Year) celebration ceremonies.

Senior officials from countries which celebrate Nowruz will also take part in the one-day event in Afghanistan.

The 3rd International Nowruz Celebrations were held in Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on March 25, 2012 with former President Ahmadinejad and his Tajik, Afghan and Pakistani counterparts in attendance.

Iran first organized the International Nowruz Celebrations. The second International Nowruz Celebrations were held in Tehran in 2011.

Nowruz, 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.

The International Day of Nowruz was registered on the UNESCO List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity on February 23, 2010.