From well-known public figures of the Russian Federation – Sergey Abakumov, Leo Bokeria, Georgiy Grechko, Pavel Gusev, Mark Zakharov, Aleksandr Kalyagin, Sergey Katyrin, Mikhail Ostrovskiy, Genri Reznik, Anatoliy Torkunov, Vladislav Tretyak, Zurab Tsereteli, Aleksandr Shirvindt, Viktor Shmakov, Aleksandr Shokhin, Leonid Yakubovich

Dear Ilham Heydar oglu!

On behalf of our all-Russian non-governmental organizations please accept our sincere congratulations on the occasion of a bright and convincing victory in the general election on 9 October of this year and your election as President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

We greatly appreciate your personal contribution to the successful socioeconomic development of Azerbaijan and your policies aimed at improving the welfare of the population, support of civil and non-governmental institutions, as well as your successful work on deepening the comprehensive partnership and friendly relations among nations and peoples, citizens and public associations of our countries.

We believe that an important factor in the establishment of the Russian-Azerbaijani dialogue between civil society and non-governmental organizations has been of the memorandum of cooperation and collaboration supported by you. It signed between the Council on State Support for non-governmental organizations under the President of Azerbaijan and the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation in the city of Baku in March this year.

The particular relevance of the provisions of the Memorandum, in particular those on the involvement of civil society institutions in bilateral socioeconomic and public projects and the annual Azerbaijani-Russian Civic forums of non-governmental organizations conducted in the cities of Baku and Moscow since 2013, has been confirmed by your speeches and statements made jointly with Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to Azerbaijan in August of this year, including the statements regarding the need for strengthen the close cooperation between our citizens and their organizations in the humanitarian, scientific, cultural and educational spheres. Our non-governmental associations and we personally are willing to take an active part in the preparation and implementation of bilateral civil forums, and indeed to participate in any other publicly important targeted programs and projects.

We are glad to say that the election of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including its final outcomes, as well as the openness, transparency and high voter turnout, have demonstrated your commitment and the desire of the Azerbaijani leadership to develop democratic processes in the country, further strengthen of the rule of law and develop civil society in Azerbaijan, which was rightly pointed out by international observers, including those from Russia.

We wish you success and good luck in your arduous and important work for the benefit of independent Azerbaijan, whose emergence and rapid development was facilitated by a invaluable contribution of your father – President Heydar Aliyev, a great friend of our country. We have great respect for his memory.

Please allow us to wish you, your family and the entire people of Azerbaijan prosperity, good Siberian health and Caucasian longevity!

With deep respect and confidence of continued full cooperation,

On behalf of the Board, the Board of Trustees and the Presidium of the National Fund "Public Recognition", the independent organization "In support for civil society" and the National Civil Committee for Cooperation with law-enforcement, legislative and judicial authorities:

Sergey Abakumov
Chairman of the Board, Member of the Public Chamber of Russia

Co-Chairs of the Board of Trustees and the Presidium:
Leo Bokeria
Director of the Center for Cardiovascular Surgery named after Bakulev

Georgiy Grechko
Twice Hero of the Soviet Union, cosmonaut

Pavel Gusev
Editor-in-chief of "Moskovsky Komsomolets" newspaper

Mark Zakharov
Artistic Director of "Lenkom" Theater

Aleksandr Kalyagin
President of the Union of Theatrical Figures of Russia

Sergey Katyrin
President of the Chamber of Commerce of Russia

Mikhail Ostrovskiy
First Deputy Secretary of the Public Chamber of the Russian Federation

Genri Reznik
President of the Bar Association of the City of Moscow

Anatoliy Torkunov
Rector of Moscow State Institute (University) of International Relations of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation

Vladislav Tretyak
President of the Ice Hockey Federation of Russia

Zurab Tsereteli
President of the Russian Academy of Arts

Alekhandr Shirvindt
Artistic Director of "Satire" Theater

Viktor Shmakov
Chairman of the Independent Federation of Trade Unions of the Russian Federation

Aleksandr Shokhin
President of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

Leonid Yakubovich
Author and presenter of TV channel ORT, People's Artist of the Russian Federation