TEHRAN – Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi on Sunday expressed hope for the promotion of cooperation with the Republic of Belarus.

In a message to his Belarusian counterpart Aleksandr Grigoryevich Lukashenko, Raisi congratulated the East European nation on its Independence Day.

He also expressed hope that joint efforts and employment of extensive capacities of Iran and Belarus would enhance cooperation between the two states.

Independence Day is a public holiday in the Republic of Belarus celebrated on July 3. It commemorates the liberation of Minsk from Nazi occupation during the Second World War.

Originally Independence Day of Belarus commemorated the country’s independence from the Soviet Union declared on July 27, 1990. However, in 1996 Lukashenko proposed to move the holiday to July 3 in order to celebrate the liberation of Belarus from the Nazis. The proposal was supported by almost 90% of voters during the 1996 referendum.