Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia congratulated the Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the 25th anniversary of independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
Patriarch Kirill recalled Heydar Aliyev's significant contribution to the creation of a new Azerbaijan. "He was a distinguished and respected leader, who took over the responsibility for the fate of the country and paved the way for its full development."
The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church stressed that it is gratifying to see that "representatives of different nations and religions peacefully live and work in today's Azerbaijan".
