Statement by President Ilham Aliyev

- Dear Mr. President!

Distinguished guests, dear ladies and gentlemen!

Mr. President, I would like warmly welcome you to the land of Azerbaijan again. We very much appreciate that you are paying one of your first official visits as President to Azerbaijan. It is a sign of friendship, a sign of brotherhood. I am confident that your visit will open a new page in the relations between our countries. Our peoples, our brotherly peoples have lived in peace and friendship over the centuries and always treated each other with great love and sympathy.

Today, as two independent states, Kyrgyzstan and Azerbaijan remain true to the traditions of our ancestors. Today we are embarking on a new stage in the development of our relations. We have always sought to develop the relations between our two countries dynamically and efficiently. But, unfortunately, some time was missed.

Since you became President of Kyrgyzstan, we have observed positive dynamics, a real and serious determination to develop our relations. And most importantly, we are faithful to our pledges and agreements. Our first meeting took place only a few months ago and has already led to the intensification of our relations. There are already contacts between our institutions and companies. And your visit to Azerbaijan is evidence of our attitude to the development of bilateral ties.

Today we are defining the ways for the development of our relations over the decades to come – politically, economically and in the field of investments. We have identified the main directions for the development of our relations. We will continue to strengthen our political cooperation, work actively in international organizations, support each other in all international organizations and thus further strengthen our unity.

We have identified the main avenues for the development of economic relations, agreed to hold the first meeting of the Kyrgyzstan-Azerbaijan Intergovernmental Commission next month. We have given specific instructions to our institutions on the areas of cooperation and considered specific projects on potential economic, investment and energy cooperation.

Of course, the crucial role is played by humanitarian cooperation. Our common language, culture and historical past are strengthening our ties. We are committed to a large-scale, efficient and dynamic development of our relations, to the transformation of our relations into a partnership. I am sure the agreements we have reached will produce specific results because there is a positive mutual attitude. Most importantly, there is a commitment to implement the decisions we have defined.

The documents signed today also show our intentions. We have probably signed more documents than were signed over the 20 years of independence of our countries. This is, first of all, an indicator of the time lost in our relationship, but also of the attitude with which we are building our relations now.

I am sure that our relations have a great future. We will continue to work hard at the bilateral and regional levels. We have also agreed to further strengthen the unity of the Turkic world, to participate actively in the integration processes, to support all the initiatives aimed at bringing the Turkic peoples of our planet closer together. We have a complete convergence of views on that. And we are very pleased that in President Almazbek Atambayev the Turkic world has obtained a very active supporter and conductor of the unity of our peoples and convergence of independent states that are united by a common history and a common culture.

I am sure that your visit will be very successful, efficient and produce good results. As you have mentioned, you visited Azerbaijan 20 or more years ago. So this is also an opportunity to get acquainted with the present-day realities of our country and to determine, as I said before, the future directions of our relations.

I wish you and your delegation all the best and a good stay in Azerbaijan.

Statement by President of Almazbek Atambayev

- Dear Ilham Heydar oglu!

First of all, I want to thank you for this warm and fraternal welcome we have enjoyed since yesterday. This is indeed a brotherly attitude. For me, it is perhaps the imperative of fate, but it is very significant. I am proud to be the first President of Kyrgyzstan to pay an official visit to Azerbaijan in 20 years. As you rightly pointed out, we have lost 20 years. But I think we will make up for these 20 years very quickly. We have already signed, as you said, more documents, quite specific documents in fact, than were signed over the 20 years. We will conduct a meeting of the intergovernmental commission next month, which will consider specific tasks in the fields of energy, investment, the task of establishing an investment fund, etc. So I think we will make up for the time lost.

You are right to say that we have a common history. Those who tend to forget about it should keep in mind that the peoples inhabiting the vast territory from Siberia to the Black Sea have always tried to unite under the name of a khanate – Turkic, Kyrgyz, Uighur, under the names of the Golden Horde, the Russian Empire, the Soviet Union. Because this entire territory is inhabited by fraternal peoples. I think even in Russia the share of the Turkic-speaking population is about 20 per cent. Russian history, both military and cultural, is rich in brilliant representatives of the Turkic world, such as Turgenev, Aksakov, Kuprin, etc. So I think this unifying theme, the theme that we shouldn’t forget the past is, of course, very relevant. Because there is a saying that if someone shoots at the past with a gun, the future will shoot at him with a cannon.

I am very pleased with the meetings today. I am glad that very important documents, both political and economic, have been signed. I want to announce that we have invited distinguished Ilham Heydar oglu to pay an official visit to Kyrgyzstan in August this year. Mr. President has promised to come. Apparently, we will be hosting the summit of Turkic-speaking countries at that time.

I think that our relations are entering an entirely different stage. And representatives of both delegations saw this in the talks. I think that with God's help our countries will have completely different relations and we will make up for what was lost during the 20 years.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I had visited Baku only once, in 1991, i.e. 21 years ago. Of course, I can’t even recognize it now. It is a completely different country. It is a country whose representatives have won the Eurovision song contest. One can only envy Baku in a good sense and hope that our Bishkek also becomes like this. We will learn from this. There is so much to learn. Of course, I think Azerbaijan has been very lucky to have such Presidents – esteemed Heydar Aliyev and Ilham Aliyev. Azerbaijan is progressing very confidently and strongly. We've got a lot to learn from. And, most importantly, we have something to do together. I think we will not deviate from this path this time and will work hard.

Thank you.