From Joseph R. Biden, President of the United States of America

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

Dear Mr. President,

On behalf of the American people, I congratulate you and the people of Azerbaijan on your Independence Day.

The United States values our bilateral relationship with the Republic of Azerbaijan. During our more than 30 years of diplomatic relations, we have built a partnership based on shared interests, including energy security, regional security, and combating terrorism. Our two nations fought shoulder-to-shoulder in Afghanistan and tackled regional energy challenges together through the development of the Southern Gas Corridor. And we appreciate Azerbaijan's humanitarian assistance to Ukraine as an important lifeline against the onslaught of Russia's brutal war.

As you enter your fifth term in office, the United States will work to deepen our mutual collaboration on regional and global issues, including climate change and the green energy transition. We encourage Azerbaijan to take meaningful steps toward democratic governance and to protect the human rights and fundamental freedoms of all Azerbaijanis. We look forward to advancing our shared climate goals at COP29 in Baku in November and stand ready to support Azerbaijan in making the event a success.

On this holiday honoring Azerbaijan's independence, the United States reaffirms its support for Azerbaijan's independence, territorial integrity, and sovereignty. We welcome steps by Azerbaijan and Armenia to secure a durable and dignified peace, and we stand ready to support these efforts. Above all, we look forward to growing our partnership and strengthening ties with the people of Azerbaijan.

I send my best wishes to you and the people of Azerbaijan.

Sincerely,

Joseph R. Biden

President of the United States of America