On the 8th of February, H. E. Mr. Seyed Mohammad Javad Rasouli, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Islamic Republic of Iran to the Republic of Bulgaria,

gave a reception in the "Sofia" Hall of the "Marinella" Hotel on the occasion of the national holiday of his country. Ministers, officials, ambassadors, diplomats, journalists, cultural figures respected him with their attendance.

The evening began with the performance of the national anthems of Iran and Bulgaria, after which H. E. Mr. Seyed Mohammad Javad Rasouli welcomed the audience, offered his condolences to the governments and peoples of Syria and Turkey for the victims of the strong earthquake in these two countries, and especially to their families, and invited those present for a minute's silence in memory of the dead.

He then gave his welcome speech:

In the name of God

Dear guests,

First I want to welcome each and every one of you attending our national celebration.

We gathered tonight to celebrate the national holiday of the Islamic Republic of Iran, as well as the 125th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Iran and Bulgaria.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Forty-four years ago, in these days, one of the most popular and most glorious revolutions in the world won.

During these years, the Islamic Republic of Iran, despite all the ongoing and constant conspiracies and obstacles created by the enemies, was able to achieve significant scientific, technological and economic achievements, relying on its people and the talented and capable Iranians who excelled in the field of nanotechnology, stem cells, peaceful nuclear industry, space industry, quantum technology, robotics, defense industry, medicine and pharmaceuticals and others. That is why the statistics of renowned international institutions show the all-round progress and development of our country, especially in the field of science and technology.

It seems that this great scientific progress in Iran as an independent country that relies on its own people does not please the enemies of the Iranian nation. Those who were deprived of huge resources and interests in our country after the revolution did everything possible to hurt the Iranian nation. Simply because it decided to be independent and stand on its own two feet!

Dear guests,

The Islamic Republic of Iran has played an unparalleled role in ensuring the stability and security of the region and the world by being at the forefront of the fight against sinister phenomena such as terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and illegal immigration, and has paid a heavy price for it.

In this regard, we honor the memory of the hero of the fight against terrorism and extremism, martyr General Qasem Soleimani and all the martyrs who sacrificed their lives in this way to ensure peace and security in the region and the world.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

One hundred and twenty-five years have passed since the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Iran and Bulgaria. During these years, relations between the two countries have always been peaceful and filled with mutual respect. I hope that this year, with the cooperation of the Bulgarian government, we will be able to further develop our relations.

The Islamic Republic of Iran, with its geographical strategic location, vast natural resources, human resources and a large market, has great potential for the development and expansion of economic and commercial cooperation in all areas with the Republic of Bulgaria. I believe that by working together, we can witness the actualization of these capabilities in accordance with the interests of our peoples.

In conclusion, I emphasize the constant and growing friendship between the two countries and wish prosperity and happiness to both peoples.

Then H. E. Mr. Seyed Mohammad Javad Rasouli invited all the attendees to spend an unforgettable evening together, try the Iranian specialties and enjoy the celebration.

And the guests really enjoyed - both the conversations and the meals. In addition, in the hall they had the opportunity to see interesting video footage from Iran. And in the corridor and lobby they could see a wonderful exhibition of works of Iranian handicrafts, in the center of which shone in all their beauty the unsurpassed Iranian carpets.

The pictures are provided by the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the Republic of Bulgaria.