From Benjamin Netanyahu, Prime Minister of the State of Israel

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

Dear Mr. President, dear friend,

Congratulations to you and to the people of Azerbaijan as you celebrate Independence Day.

I am grateful for our true friendship and for the ties between our peoples, which have both grown deeper and stronger over the years. I very much appreciate your efforts to fight extremism, which contribute to regional stability and play an important part in promoting peace and bringing us closer to achieving our shared goals.

I am particularly grateful for your country's steadfast support for Israel, and the solidarity you displayed in the aftermath of Hamas's heinous attack on October 7 as well as your commitment to standing against mutual regional threats. This attests to the trust and respect between our governments and peoples, upon which our true partnership is based.

I look forward to further expanding our bilateral relations and our cooperation in a wide variety of fields, including AI, aviation, tourism, and academia, as well as convening another meeting of the Joint Economic Commission.

I wish you, your family, and the Azerbaijani people many more years of prosperity and success.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Netanyahu

Prime Minister of the State of Israel