Message of congratulation to the women of Azerbaijan on the occasion of 8 March, the International Women’s Day

Dear women!

I would like to heartily congratulate all the women of Azerbaijan on the International Women's Day and wish each one of you good health and happiness.

You have provided for a dignified preservation of our centuries-old spiritual wealth, cultural and moral values. Thanks to your foresight, dedication and heroism you have written bright pages of our history. You own an invaluable contribution to the fact that our language, capable of fully expressing the deepest thoughts, has overcome the tests of time, and now lives and is continuously enriched. As wonderful mothers, you make every effort to ensure that our youths are brought up in the spirit of attachment to homeland, loyalty to the independent statehood, the ideals of freedom and the ideology of Azerbaijanism. By adequately continuing the path of our intellectuals and enlighteners, you also realize your talents and abilities in the field of culture, science, education, healthcare and other areas with even greater persistence.

Your social activity imparts dynamism to our society. Your high public profile contributes extensively to its harmony and is the result of your rich spirituality, intellect, organizational skills and businesslike approach. As permanent participants in projects of great importance for the future development of Azerbaijan, you, through activities aimed at strengthening the foundations of our independent statehood, have always lived up to the public confidence. The fruition of your effective work in the public, political, socioeconomic, scientific and cultural spheres are clearly evident in every corner of our country. Your achievements hold a special place in the current image of the country. Their scope is constantly expanding and they are worthy of the contemporary realities of Azerbaijan.

I do hope that women will continue to preserve the national and spiritual values inherent in our people and make a contribution to the prosperity of our ever-renewing republic with their inexhaustible intellectual potential.

With best wishes!

Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku city, 7 March 2014