Dear compatriots!

Distinguished ladies and gentlemen!

My sincere congratulations to you on the occasion of one of the sacred and revered national holidays - Navruz, which has been celebrated for several days in our beloved country. I also would like to welcome to this solemn event the intelligentsia, representatives of culture from Samarqand and Farghona provinces of Uzbekistan, as well as representatives of the diplomatic corps resident in Tajikistan and wish them Happy International Navruz Holiday. Having availed this opportunity, I wish every family good health, happiness, new achievements, Navruz abundance and fertility.

The onset of Navruz brings good news of the equinox, the awakening of nature, the beginning of the new year and the sowing season.

I would proudly like to underline that Navruz is very dear to us along with the State Independence Day, because thanks to Independence and freedom, we have revived our ancient national holidays and customs, including Navruz.

Moreover, Independence as a life-changing gift to our nation and Navruz as a golden pillar of the glorious history of Tajiks jointly unite the present and the future generations with national traditions and customs inherited by our glorious ancestors.

It is worth noting that, Navruz was internationalized in 2010 given its humane essence and nature of this holiday. In other words, having become an international holiday, the mission and role of Navruz have further strengthened in expanding cooperation and mutual enrichment of cultures, friendship between peoples, and strengthening peace and stability in the world.

In fact, Navruz and the wisdom and philosophy emanating from it are based on the reverence and glorification of a person, regardless of religious affiliation and social status, on equality, tolerance, forgiving, the beginning of a new page in life and on peace and stability overall.

All these immortal values ​​and universal importance of Navruz along with our mellifluous language, rich history, science, literature and culture, are a source of pride and the best means of self-awareness and self-knowledge for the Tajik people.

We are also proud that Navruz with its six-thousand-year history, is still celebrated and gets deeply rooted in our hearts and minds as the element of expansion of the worldview of generations, and satisfies the spiritual and social needs of our people in the 21^st century, that is, in the era of the rapid development of science and technology.

I would like to recall that our ancient holidays such as Sada, Navruz, Mehrgon and Tirgon are among the important pillars of the strength of our nation. I am confident that our ancient and proudly minded people will be glorified all over the world for millennia thanks to these bright holidays.

Dear compatriots!

Spring is the most beautiful time of the year and at the same time it is time for field work and creation. Therefore, the residents of our country not only arrange festive table, visit each other, organize cultural and sports events, but also attach great importance to cleanliness and tide, improvement and landscaping in their homes and residences, villages and towns, and carry out spring sowing with inspiration and creative intentions.

This year, we arrived in ancient Khujand to celebrate Navruz. The residents of ancient Khujand, other towns and districts of the Sughd province from the first days of independence to the present, along with residents of other cities and regions of the country, selflessly make hard efforts to contribute to the sustainable economic growth, to the improvement and progress of our beloved country. I take this opportunity to express my gratitude to all citizens of Tajikistan.

Along with this, the critical situation in the modern world and other problems that humanity faces, urge us to mobilize all available resources, opportunities and efforts towards achieving our goals - ensuring the further development of our state, improvement of our Motherland and living standards of each family.

Sughd province is famous throughout the country with its nature and geography, fertile lands and hardworking residents, including its dedicated farmers, and makes a valuable contribution to protecting the food security of our country and enriching the consumer market not only in Tajikistan, but also far beyond its borders supplying quality agricultural products.

The Sughd province also makes significant contribution towards achieving national strategic goals, including the accelerated industrialization of the country. It is gratifying that on the eve of the International Navruz holiday, residents of the province have done a lot for improvement and development, such as the creation of industrial enterprises and workshops, and social facilities.

We commissioned dozens of new facilities during these two days, and plan to commission many other assets over the next two days. It should be noted that thanks to the cohesive work of the residents, the towns and districts of the province have radically changed and became more beautiful. I am confident that the hardworking residents of the Sughd province will further make significant contribution to the development and improvement of the country.

I would like to emphasize that the good traditions of Navruz  fully coincide with the good creative goals and intentions of the glorious people of Tajikistan, especially in the period of preparation for our grand national holiday - the 35th anniversary of State Independence. Therefore, taking into account the difficult situation of the current world, I would like to address the proudly minded people of my country, including the hardworking residents of the Sughd province, and encourage you to channel all efforts towards the greater development of the independent Tajik state, the improvement of our Motherland inherited by our ancestors, and the gradual improvement of living standards in each family in our beloved Tajikistan.

May I once again extend my sincere congratulations from the bottom of my heart to all the glorious people of our beloved Tajikistan, including the patriotic and hardworking residents of the Sughd province and all of distinguished guests on the New Year, which used to be celebrated by our ancestors - the International Holiday of Navruz, and wish every inhabitant of our beloved country good health, happiness, good luck, and eternal peace, tranquility and unceasing progress and development to our paradise-like Tajikistan.

Be always successful, joyful and flourish like spring, like Navruz, which we are celebrating together these days!

Happy New Year of the Ancestors and the International Holiday of Navruz, dear compatriots!