A solemn celebration of Nowruz took place at UNESCO headquarters, in which Turkmenistan acted as one of the organizers of the international event. The holiday, included in the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity as a multinational nomination, united representatives of twelve countries, AZERTAC reports.
The gala event was organized through the joint efforts of the Permanent Delegations to UNESCO: Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Afghanistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Iran, Iraq, India, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Tajikistan and Türkiye.
The celebration was opened by the Chairman of the Organizing Committee, Permanent Representative of Kyrgyzstan to UNESCO, Ambassador Sadyk Sher-Niyaz. In his speech, he emphasized the spiritual significance of Nowruz, its universal values of peace and solidarity, as well as the role of the holiday as a symbol of national identity passed down from generation to generation.
UNESCO Deputy Director-General Xing Qu noted the special significance of Nowruz, which was included in the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009 and unites the peoples of many countries.
UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, who joined the event, congratulated the participants on the holiday, emphasizing that Nowruz symbolizes renewal, hope and the awakening of nature. After her speech, she got acquainted with the festive tables, including Turkmen national treats.
The cultural programme of the event featured national music and dance performances from the host countries, and large screens showed videos about the Nowruz traditions of each country, including the rich traditions of celebrating Nowruz in Turkmenistan.
The event ended with a festive dinner, where guests were able to sample national dishes from all twelve participating countries.
