President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by Vice-President of the Republic of Cuba Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa.

President Ilham Aliyev recalled the participation of the President of Cuba in the Summit of the Non-Aligned Movement in Baku in 2019 and expressed his gratitude to the Cuban side for its support of Azerbaijan's chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement.

The head of state emphasized that he would continue his efforts to develop the Non-Aligned Movement further, noting that Azerbaijan was working towards this Movement playing an essential role in international relations. President Ilham Aliyev said there was a need for broad discussions about the post-COVID period in the world.

President Ilham Aliyev also stressed that Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement would come to an end this year, noting Azerbaijan was leaving behind a good legacy as chair after four years. In this regard, the head of state noted the institutionalization of the organization, the creation of its parliament and youth network, and other initiatives.

Saying that there were great prospects for the development of cooperation, President Ilham Aliyev said that the healthcare field was of particular importance, adding that there were ample opportunities for developing relations in such fields as tourism, education, agriculture, culture, and pharmaceuticals.

Pointing to the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries and close cooperation in international organizations, including the Non-Aligned Movement, the head of state said that the activity of Cuban doctors and medical workers in Azerbaijan during the pandemic was highly appreciated. President Ilham Aliyev underlined that this factor had substantially contributed to developing bilateral relations.

President Ilham Aliyev also expressed hope that the visit of the Cuban vice-president would give an additional impetus to the expansion of bilateral relations and voiced his confidence that the visit to Azerbaijan would produce a good impression.

Expressing his gratitude for the invitation to participate in the Summit of the Contact Group of the Non-Aligned Movement on the fight against COVID-19, Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa conveyed the greetings of President of Cuba Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez to the President of Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev expressed his gratitude for the greetings, asked the vice-president to convey his greetings to the President of Cuba and said that he remembered his meeting with the President of Cuba with pleasure.

Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa noted that the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev and Fidel Castro, had played an important role in developing traditionally friendly relations. He underscored that this year marked the 100th anniversary of the Great Leader's birth.

Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa said the Cuban side had the serious political will to develop relations between the two countries further.

The vice-president said Azerbaijan had continued its active and successful chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, although it coincided with a difficult period such as the fight against COVID-19. He emphasized that Azerbaijan had done great work to develop the Non-Aligned Movement and had not spared its support for the organization's member states.

The vice-president of Cuba said there were close relations between the two countries within international organizations and noted that Cuba, as chair of G77, was interested in deepening cooperation and developing relations between the two institutions, noting that it was working for the deepening of the South-South cooperation.

Salvador Antonio Valdés Mesa emphasized that his country had been under blockade for years, but the Cuban people's determination to fight for freedom had not run out. He also thanked Azerbaijan for its support of the resolutions tabled in the UN General Assembly in relation to Cuba.

The head of state noted that the determination of the people of Azerbaijan and Cuba to fight for freedom had similar aspects, adding that the Azerbaijani people had never come to terms with occupation and aggression and liberated their lands from the occupation that lasted for nearly 30 years.

President Ilham Aliyev said that the Cuban people had proved to the world that they could endure all the hardships in the struggle for freedom. He noted that the same determination had played a crucial part in Azerbaijan’s victory. “This similarity brings the two peoples closer to each other even more.”