DUSHABE, June 12, 2009, Asia-Plus  -- President Emomali Rahmon today congratulated his Russian counterpart, President Dmitry Medvedev, on occasion of Russia’s national holiday - Russia Day, according to presidential press service.

In his message, Rahmon, in particular, noted that Tajikistan attached great significance to cooperation with the Russian Federation and hailed the present level of many-sided cooperation between the two countries and intended to take efforts to promote further expansion of strategic partnership.

Tajik leader also noted that based on principles of friendship and mutual respect, Tajik-Russian relations were steadily developing in the interest of both countries and their peoples.

Rahmon also expressed readiness to develop regular and confidential dialogue for further expansion of cooperation between the two countries in all fields being of mutual interest.  

Russia Day is a holiday of national unity celebrated on June 12.  On this day, in 1990, Russian parliament formally declared its sovereignty.  The holiday was officially established in 1994.  Initially it was named "Day of the adoption of the Declaration of Sovereignty of the Russian Federation", on February 1, 2002 was officially renamed to "Russia Day" (in 1998 Boris Yeltsin offered this name socially).