His Excellency Mr Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic

Dear Mr President,

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you and through you to your people on the occasion of national holiday of the French Republic.

We attach special importance to Azerbaijani-French relations, which have rich traditions. I am pleased to note that over 25 years since the establishment of diplomatic ties our bilateral relations have acquired a new meaning and gone through a path of dynamic development. Today our political, economic, cultural relations successfully develop and expand.

I believe that we will make joint efforts to more effectively use the current potential of our mutually fruitful cooperation on bilateral and multilateral formats.

We also pin great hopes on efforts of France, as an OSCE Minsk Group co-chair, and your efforts personally, Mr President, in the fair and peaceful settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict based on the principles of international law and within the framework of Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity in order to put an end to Armenia’s occupation of Azerbaijani territories and ensure the return of more than one million our fellow countrymen, who became refugees and IDPs as a result of this occupation, to their ancestral lands.

On this remarkable day, I wish you robust health, success in your activities and the friendly people of France lasting peace and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 11 July 2017.