To His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Your Excellency, Dear Mr. President,

Let me cordially congratulate you and through you all the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyevich Aliyev who determined the fate of modern Azerbaijan, and served as the President of the republic in 1993-2003.

It is impossible to overestimate his personality and life deeds. Heydar Aliyevich managed to transform Azerbaijan into a prosperous, future-oriented state and a country that is revered all over the world. I had the pleasure to meet with Heydar Aliyev a few times. I was always amazed by his wisdom, high intelligence and sagaciousness, which truly made him a world-class politician.

I am sincerely happy that you were able to further augment the values inherited from Heydar Aliyev. He would have been proud of you.

Once more, I wholeheartedly congratulate you on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev, and wish You and all the people of Azerbaijan peace and prosperity.

Truly yours,

Mikhail Shvydkoy

Special Representative of Russian President on International Cultural Cooperation.