TEHRAN — President Hassan Rouhani has offered his congratulations to the Bulgarian people and government on National Day.

In a message to Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on Tuesday, Rouhani hailed the age-old ties between the two nations.

He expressed hope that Tehran-Sofia relations would expand in political, economic and cultural areas in the future.

Bulgaria celebrates its national day on March 3, marking liberation from almost 500 years of Ottoman rule more than 130 years ago.

On March 3, 1878, the Treaty of San Stefano between Russia and the Ottoman Empire ended the Russo-Turkish War, and paved the way for bringing Bulgaria back to the political map.

The de jure independence of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire was proclaimed on October 5, 1908 in the old capital of Tarnovo by Prince Ferdinand of Bulgaria, who afterwards took the title "Tsar".

MH/PA