DUSHANBE, March 30, Asia-Plus -- International theatre festival entitled Navrouz-2007 will open in Dushanbe on April 5. 

Olim Akramov, the festival director general, on March 29 told a news conference in Dushanbe that the government had provided 100,000 somonis for holding the festival, which will bring together professional theatres from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan.

According to him, the Academic Drama Theatre named after Tkhapsayev from North Ossetia (Russia) is also expected to participate in The Navrouz-2007 Festival in Dushanbe. 

The festival will be held at the Opera and Ballet Theatre in Dushanbe and it will present performances, based on a wide range stories from folk epos to Shakespeare.  

Akramov noted that the festival aims to promote expansion of cultural cooperation between the countries.  The Navrouz-2007 Festival runs through April 10.

The last Navrouz Festival was held in Dushanbe four years ago.