In a message to his French counterpart on Saturday, President Rouhani
congratulated France’s government and nation on the Bastille Day, the national
day of France which is celebrated on July 14 every year.
In the congratulatory message to Emmanuel Macron, the Iranian president has
expressed the hope that mutual cooperation between Tehran and Paris and using
the common views and the existing capacities would strengthen their age-old
relations at the bilateral, regional and international levels.
President Rouhani also hoped that joint efforts could help to counter the
policy of unilateralism pursued by certain countries and to uphold
multilateralism.
Bastille Day is the French national holiday, which marks the storming of the
Bastille in the 1700s and the beginning of republican democracy and the end of
tyrannical rule.
In the 18th century, France was in deep economic and political crisis and people
were unhappy with King Louis XVI's reign, which was dominated with food
shortages and high taxes.
The Bastille was a medieval fortress and prison, which held many political
dissidents, and had become a symbol of oppression and injustice in Paris.
Source: Tasnim