The CPAFFC and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) co-hosted the event of “Nowruz – Festival of Unity and Friendship of the Peoples of the SCO Countries” in Beijing on March 22, 2019.
CPAFFC President Li Xiaolin and SCO Secretary General Vladimir Norov addressed the event. Yu Jun, representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ambassadors of the SCO member states and Ambassadors of several observer countries and SCO dialogue partners attended the event and delivered their greetings. The event was chaired by Song Jingwu, Vice President of the CPAFFC and Vice President of the China-Central Asia Friendship Association.
Li Xiaolin said in her speech that the Nowruz is a festival celebrated by many countries, marking the arrival of spring and the beginning of the new year. It expresses people's yearning for a better life in the spring and symbolizes friendship, solidarity and pursuit of world peace.
Vladimir Norov noted during his speech that a unique feature of Nowruz is to promote the values of peace and solidarity and help preserve centuries-old traditions and cultural diversity. The ideals of Nowruz and the Shanghai spirit are identical in many ways. This is why the celebration of Nowruz has a deep meaning and special significance for strengthening mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples, as well as the mutual enrichment and rapprochement of the cultures of the SCO Family countries.
Before the event, the guests visited the photo exhibition of the SCO member states with the theme of Spring, Nowruz and Traditional Culture and the exhibition of featured handicrafts with ethnic customs, watched sports performances and tasted the snack specialties prepared by the embassies participating in the event. The wonderful performances brought by Minzu University of China and the embassies of SCO member states pushed the event to a climax.
Nowruz is a traditional festival celebrated by the peoples of Central Asia and the majority ethnic groups of Azerbaijan, Iran and Afghanistan. It is also celebrated by several minority ethnic groups of China, Russia, Pakistan and other SCO member states. In 2009, Nowruz was added to the UNESCO Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity and was declared International Nowruz Day to be celebrated on 21 March.
About 500 people including the leaders and members of the China-Central Asia Friendship Association, representatives from all walks of life, diplomats and their family members from more than 30 countries, as well as students and correspondents in Beijing from the SCO member states, attended the event.
Photographed by CPAFFC and China Pictorial
