UNITED NATIONS, Mar 2 (APP): Pakistan has underscored the importance of Nowruz, which heralds the onset of spring, saying that the event is a time of “renewal and regeneration”.
Participating in the virtual celebrations marking the International Year of Nowruz on Monday, Ambassador Munir Akram said that Nowruz symbolizes rebirth and the link between humans and nature.
“In observing Nowruz International Day,” the Pakistani envoy said, “we also reaffirm our commitment to the principles of the UN Charter.”
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and President of the General Assembly, Volcan Bozkir, made opening remarks on the occasion followed by the Ambassadors of the countries sponsoring the ceremony –Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, India, Iran, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Tajikistan, Turkey, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.
“Nowruz is also a reminder of the shared heritage of the glorious civilizations that spanned the Balkans, the Black Sea, Caspian Sea regions, the Caucasus, and Central and South Asia,” Ambassador Akram said, noting it reflected in the art, music, architecture, literature and customs of the countries of these regions.
“It is a heritage which has been warmly embraced by the people of Pakistan,” he said.
“This common heritage is a solid foundation for our friendship and cooperation with all our neighbors in the north and west, reflected in part in the Economic Cooperation Organization (ECO).”
Ambassador Akram also spoke about the need to emerge from suffering caused by the coronavirus pandemic, saying, “we will, together, defeat the virus and recover better, stronger and more prosperous.
The Pakistani envoy concluded his remarks with the words of Allama Mohammed Iqbal:
“Spring clouds have pitched their tents over mountains and plains, Look! Flowers are flourishing in gardens and meadows, The spring wind blows”.
An estimated 300 million people worldwide celebrate Nowruz, with traditions and rituals particularly strong in the Balkans, the Black Sea and Caspian Sea regions, the Caucasus, Central and South Asia, and the Middle East.
Nowruz is also inscribed on the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
