To His Excellency Mr. Seyyed Ebrahim Raisi, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran

Dear Mr. President,

I cordially congratulate you on the remarkable date, the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Islamic Republic of Iran, and convey my best wishes to the friendly and fraternal Iranian people.

The will of our peoples, bound together with religious and cultural roots, forms the foundation of Azerbaijani-Iranian relations based on mutual respect and good neighborliness. Today's high level of friendly relations is the result of joint activities of our countries for 30 years. The numerous mutual visits over the years, the documents signed, the agreements reached and the joint projects implemented have played an important part in the dynamic development of our cooperation in the political, economic, transport, energy, cultural and other fields.

I highly appreciate the ongoing political dialogue between Azerbaijan and Iran and our interaction in a number of areas. I believe that there are great prospects for the further development of our mutually beneficial cooperation today. The restoration of the Azerbaijani-Iranian state border as a result of the liberation of our historical and ancestral lands from occupation has, undoubtedly, created favorable conditions for the full use of the existing potential, joint participation in the implementation of transport and communication corridors. In this context, I would like to emphasize the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Government of the Islamic Republic of Iran on the creation of new communication links between the East Zangazur economic region of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic through the territory of the Islamic Republic of Iran.

At present, large-scale reconstruction and restoration work is underway in our liberated territories. We would be glad to see companies representing your country participating in this process in the near future.

I believe that thanks to our joint efforts, Azerbaijani-Iranian relations, which serve the interests of our countries and peoples, will continue to develop and strengthen successfully.

Taking this opportunity, I wish you the best of health and success in your activities, and the friendly and brotherly people of Iran peace and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 11 March 2022