His Excellency Mr Donald Trump, President of the United States of America

On behalf of the people of Azerbaijan and on my own behalf, I extend my sincerest congratulations to you and all the people of your country on the occasion of the Independence Day of the United States of America.

The Republic of Azerbaijan and the United States of America are bound together by the ties of friendship and cooperation. Based on mutual interest, our cooperation in an array of fields is that of strategic partnership.

We are determined to resolutely continuing our multifaceted activity in issues such as ensuring international security and combating terrorism. The Southern Gas Corridor project, which we initiated and are now successfully implementing, is an outstanding contribution to the strengthening of Europe’s energy security. The United States` support for our projects aimed at diversifying energy sources and transport is very important for us.

However, the fact that the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict has not yet been settled remains our country`s most painful problem. As a result of the Armenian military aggression against our country, Azerbaijan’s ancestral lands of Nagorno-Karabakh and seven surrounding regions were occupied, more than one million Azerbaijanis were forced to leave their native lands. The conflict must be solved peacefully and fairly in accordance with the norms and principles of international law, the demands of relevant resolutions by the UN Security Council, the provisions of the Helsinki Final Act, within the framework of territorial integrity of our country. In this regard, we pin great hopes on the continued and determined position of the United States, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, and on your personal efforts, Mr President.

On this remarkable day, I wish you the best of health, success in your activities, and the friendly people of the United States everlasting peace and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 1 July, 2019