DUSHANBE, October 3, 2008, Asia-Plus  -- Participants in the 2008 World Friendship Run entered Dushanbe via the western gate yesterday afternoon.

Speaking in an interview with Asia-Plus, Shavkat Saidov, a spokesman for the Dushanbe mayor, said that in the Central Asian region, the Friendship Run’ torch relay started from Astana, Kazakhstan and some 40 people participated in the relay. 

As it had been reported earlier, the World Friendship Run kicked off from the UN Headquarters in New York on April 10 and representatives of more than 70 nations attended its opening ceremony.  

The run is a global relay that seeks to promote international friendship and understanding.  As a symbol of harmony, runners carry a flaming torch, passing it from hand to hand traveling through many nations around the globe.  The run is held annually and the runners come from all walks of life and freely give up their time to take part.  All those interested may join the runners and carry the torch several steps and thereby to express their sympathy with the relay’s ideas.