President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has received a delegation led by President of the Association of Friends of Azerbaijan in France, member of the National Assembly of the French Republic Jean-Francois Mancel.

The president hailed the visit of a new group of French MPs led by Mancel to the country. President Aliyev described the visit as a good opportunity for the French MPs to better familiarize themselves with the country.

Praising the high level bilateral relations between the two countries, President Aliyev underlined the positive role of the interparliamentary cooperation in the expansion of these ties.

The president recalled with pleasure the French presidents' visits to Azerbaijan and his visits to France. President Aliyev pointed to the two countries' successful cooperation in a variety of fields, including economy, energy, transportation, high technology, trade and education.

Praising the level of bilateral ties between the two countries, President Aliyev noted that the most important task was to ensure the French public's awareness of Azerbaijan's realities and the current development processes in the country.

Hailing the significance of reciprocal visits in this regard, the president emphasized that the visit of the French delegation led by Mancel would contribute to bringing the two peoples and countries closer to each other.

Mancel said it was the first visit of members of the delegation to Azerbaijan. He noted that they were mobilized at the National Assembly in order to prevent unpleasant anti-Azerbaijani initiatives, adding they have already proved their friendly feelings towards Azerbaijan.

The member of the National Assembly said that as part of the visit to Azerbaijan they made a program titled "Discover Azerbaijan," underlining its importance in promoting the development processes in the country.

Mancel hailed great interest in Formula 1 Grand Prix of Europe, which is currently held in Baku.

The member of the National Assembly underlined the importance of Azerbaijan's rich experience in hosting such international events.