Tasnim � Iran�s President Hassan Rouhani congratulated Montenegro on its Independence Day, hoping for closer ties between Tehran and Podgorica in various fields.


In a Monday message to his Montenegrin counterpart Filip Vujanovic, Rouhani congratulated the Balkan country on its Independence Day, the anniversary of the Montenegrin independence referendum in 2006.

He also expressed the hope for closer cooperation between the two countries and expansion of bilateral relations in various fields.

Montenegro�s Independence Day is a national holiday celebrated annually on May 21 to mark the anniversary of its independence referendum back in 2006.

In the 16th century, Montenegro emerged as a semi-autonomous region within the Ottoman Empire. The name �Montenegro� which refers to the black mountains that cover large parts of the region was first used in the 15th century.

The independence referendum was held on May 21, 2006, with an 85% turnout. The Montenegro Parliament declared independence on 3 June 2006 and became the 192nd member of the United Nations on 26 June 2006.