DUSHANBE, September 10, 2011, Asia-Plus -- On Friday September 9, President Emomali Rahmon received congratulations from world leaders on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of Tajikistan’s Independence.

The presidential press service reports Rahmon received messages of congratulations from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev, U.S. President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhammedov, Afghan President Hamid Karzai, German President Christian Wulff, Turkish President Abdullah Gul, Kyrgyz President Roza Otunbayeva, Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych, Indian President Pratibha Devisingh Patil.

Messages of congratulations were also sent by the President of Portugal Anibal Antonio Cavaco Silva, Azeri President Ilham Aliyev, Prime Minister of Luxembourg Jean-Claude Juncker, His Highness the Aga Khan, Imam (spiritual leader) of the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslims, Pope Benedict XVI, the Organization for Islamic Cooperation (OIC) Secretary-General Dr Ekmeliddin Ihsanoglu, the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) President Dr Ahmad Mohamed Ali.

Besides, President Rahmon received messages of congratulations on the occasion of Tajikistan’s Independence Day from President of the Swiss Confederation Micheline Calmy-Rey, President of Italy Giorgio Napolitano, President of the Presidium of the North Korean Supreme People’s Assembly of DPR Korea Kim Yong-nam, Lithuanian President Andris Berzinsh  En Nam, President of the State Council and the Council of Ministers of Cuba Raul Castro Ruz, Polish President Bronislaw Komorowski, the Emperor of Japan Akihito, the King of Saudi Arabia Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz Al Saud, etc.