Dear Mr. President,

On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I congratulate you and through you all the people of your country on the national holiday of the Republic of France.

I attach great importance to Azerbaijani-French relations. Our political contacts at the highest level, mutually beneficial economic cooperation and sustainable cultural ties are important factors that demonstrate the friendship between our two countries and peoples.

Mr. President, the position of France in the process of establishing peace and stability in our region is also very significant to us. We have high hopes for the efforts of France as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and indeed your personal efforts towards a fair settlement of the most painful problems of our people, the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, in peaceful ways and on the basis of international law.

On this remarkable day, I wish you good health and continued success in your activities, and the friendly people of France permanent peace and prosperity.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 1 July 2013