Heads of state and government congratulate Ilham Aliyev on his birthday

Today marks the 61th birthday of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev. During the 19 years of Ilham Aliyev's presidency, the republic has radically strengthened its position in the region and in the international arena, it has fulfilled all the tasks set by the previous president, national leader Heydar Aliyev.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first leaders to send a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. "I sincerely congratulate you on the occasion of your birthday. Under your leadership, the friendly Azerbaijan is confidently moving along the path of socio-economic development and strengthening its position on the international arena. Your personal contribution to the establishment and strengthening of allied interaction between our states cannot be overestimated," Putin said. "I sincerely value our trusting, friendly relationship. I am confident that we will continue our close joint work on topical issues of the bilateral and regional agenda. I sincerely wish you robust health, well-being and success. I avail myself of this opportunity to ask you to convey my heartfelt regards to your family," the letter said.

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has also sent his best wishes. "Dear Ilham Heydarovich, on behalf of the Government of the Russian Federation and on my own behalf, please accept our heartfelt wishes for a happy birthday. I would like to specifically note your significant personal contribution to the strengthening of the relations of friendship, partnership and alliance between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Azerbaijan. In pursuance of the decisions taken at the highest level, favorable conditions have been created for the expansion of trade, economic and investment cooperation, the implementation of major mutually beneficial projects in industry, energy, transport infrastructure and other areas. I have warm recollections of our meetings, which are always held in an open and constructive atmosphere. I will be glad to continue our trusting communication. Dear Ilham Heydarovich, I sincerely wish you good health, happiness and continued success in your responsible state activity," the letter reads.

President of the People's Republic of China Xi Jinping also congratulated Ilham Aliyev on his birthday. "Dear Mr. President, I have the honor to express my sincere congratulations and best wishes to you for a happy birthday. Over the past years, China-Azerbaijan relations have continued to develop in a healthy and stable manner. Our cooperation in various fields is successfully and fruitfully moving forward. In September this year, we successfully held a meeting in the city of Samarkand in Uzbekistan, at which important agreements were reached on developing bilateral relations, strengthening interaction in the international arena and deepening cooperation within the framework of the “One Belt, One Road” initiative. I attach great importance to the development of China-Azerbaijan relations, and I am ready to work with you to promote the sustainable and long-term development of bilateral relations of friendship and cooperation for the benefit of our countries and peoples. I wish you good health and prosperity,"  Xi Jinping stressed.

President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev wrote the Azerbaijani leader a letter. "Dear Ilham Heydar oglu! Please accept my heartfelt congratulations and best wishes for a very happy birthday. Azerbaijan's impressive successes in building a strong and prosperous state, securing the well-being of the population and raising the country's authority in the international arena are a clear result of your selfless service to the interests of the Motherland, far-sighted policy and undeniable leadership as head of state. In Kazakhstan, you are recognized as a reliable friend and a prominent political figure who is genuinely interested in further deepening Kazakh-Azerbaijani relations. I am convinced that thanks to our joint efforts, we will be able to elevate our bilateral cooperation to new heights by further strengthening our strategic partnership and alliance. Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, I wish you further success and new achievements in your responsible state activity for the benefit of the fraternal people of Azerbaijan," the head of state wished.

President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko also sent a letter to Ilham Aliyev. "Dear Ilham Heydarovich, please accept my most sincere wishes for a happy birthday. It is gratifying that the words you spoke two decades ago, “I believe in the happy future for Azerbaijan”, have come true. I am aware that the people of Azerbaijan highly appreciate your efforts to develop the economy and social sphere of the state, protect its foreign policy interests, and improve the well-being of your citizens. Thanks to your skillful and firm leadership, fraternal Azerbaijan is playing an increasingly significant role in the region and in strengthening the Turkic world. Your successful chairmanship in the Non-Aligned Movement, of which Belarus is also a member, has earned Baku international authority and well-deserved respect. I always recall our meetings with pleasure. I value the established friendly and trusting personal relations, our constructive communication and mutual focus on close and mutually beneficial cooperation. Dear Ilham Heydarovich, I wish you good health, happiness and fresh achievements in your multifaceted and responsible activity," the letter says.

President of the Republic of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev also sent his congratulations. "Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, my dear brother. It gives me great pleasure to convey to you my best wishes and sincere congratulations on your birthday. Your Excellency, we know and deeply respect you as a great statesman, a skilled and courageous leader who has earned the confidence of his people, is selflessly serving the cause of the country`s development and prosperity, and who has restored historical justice in the new period of development for Azerbaijan. I would like to emphasize that under your wise leadership the Republic of Azerbaijan has made tremendous achievements in the way of socioeconomic development in recent years, and its reputation and standing in the world are growing. I have warm recollections of your state visit to our country in June of the current year, your active participation in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and the Organization of Turkic States held in Samarkand, as well as our open and sincere meetings held within the framework of these visits. I am sure that all the important agreements reached will elevate the strategic partnership between our countries to an even higher level and enrich our multifaceted cooperation with new practical content. It is beyond doubt that thanks to our common goals and future high-level meetings, the long-term and mutually beneficial relations of cooperation between Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan will be strengthened in the interests of common well-being of our brotherly nations. Dear Ilham Heydar oglu, on this joyful and unforgettable day of your life, I sincerely congratulate you once again, wish you a long life, good health, family happiness, continued success in your high state activities, and peace, continuous progress and prosperity to the brotherly people of Azerbaijan," the Uzbek leader stressed.

Prime Minister of Georgia Irakli Garibashvili congratulated Ilham Aliyev on his birthday as well. "Your Excellency, let me sincerely congratulate you on your birthday, and wish you peace, robust health and success. Your service in the development and prosperity of the Republic of Azerbaijan is indispensable. At the same time, your personal efforts in strengthening the strategic partnership between Georgia and the Republic of Azerbaijan are great. Taking into consideration the existing friendship and common interests between our countries, I believe that our close relations and strategic cooperation, which are developing day by day, will contribute to the establishment of peace, stability and prosperity in the region. I hope that through our joint efforts, we will overcome the current challenges and effectively use our opportunities for the prosperity of our countries and the region. Mr. President, taking this opportunity, I would like to once again sincerely congratulate you, and wish you success in your state activities for the development of Azerbaijan and the welfare of your people," the Georgian PM wrote.