President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has sent a congratulatory letter to his Congolese counterpart, Denis Sassou Nguesso.

Axar.az presents the text of the letter:

- Dear Mr. President.

Dear guests, ladies and gentlemen.

First of all, Mr. President, I sincerely welcome you to Azerbaijan once again. Your visit is historic. The President of the Republic of the Congo is paying an official visit to Azerbaijan for the first time. From the outset, we can say that the visit will have very good results.

We have just signed the Declaration on Cooperation. This is a significant document, which will determine the prospects for our cooperation. I am sure that strong friendly relations will be established between the Congo and Azerbaijan.

Many important issues were discussed, and consensus was expressed both during the one-on-one meeting and at the meeting with the participation of delegations. Undoubtedly, our political relations will continue to develop successfully and the Declaration on Cooperation signed today once again confirms this.

We will continue our bilateral activities based on mutual support within the framework of international organizations, especially the UN and the Non-Aligned Movement. Azerbaijan, which successfully chaired the Non-Aligned Movement for four years until this January, has always felt the support of the Congo. The Congo has constantly supported our initiatives and, as a result, the institutional development of the Non-Aligned Movement was enabled during our presidency. The Parliamentary Network, the Youth and Women platforms were created during our presidency. Today, the Non-Aligned Movement is a stronger organization than it was before. I think it is in the interest of all of us to amplify the role this organization plays on a global scale and in the processes around the world. The Non-Aligned Movement is the second largest organization to the UN, with a total of 121 members. We have had a broad exchange of views on the future development of this institution and this Movement.

I must also state that during Azerbaijan’s chairmanship of the Non-Aligned Movement, the issues of struggle against neocolonialism were among our top priorities, and it remains the case today. This area is of particular importance among our foreign policy objectives. Some time ago, the Baku Initiative Group was established in Azerbaijan. It is an international body. The primary goal of this entity is to fight against the new manifestations of colonialism, support the peoples suffering from colonialism today, and ensure that those peoples achieve freedom on legal grounds. Today, the Baku Initiative Group is an organization that enjoys enormous respect worldwide, and I would like to reiterate that the accomplishments of this organization are evident.

Of course, we have had a broad exchange of views on cooperation in the economic field as well today. Specific tasks have been given to members of our delegations. Azerbaijan intends to participate in many investment projects in the Congo, primarily in the field of agriculture. There are substantial prospects for cooperation in renewable energy, energy, mining, and other fields. A discussion was held today, relevant instructions were given, and I am sure that our representatives will be in close contact with each other over the coming months.

I must also state that on the eve of the official visit, in order to prepare it well and achieve good results, the visits of delegations from the Congo to Azerbaijan and from Azerbaijan to the Congo were also organized. Those visits also demonstrated that there is a very good basis for our strategic cooperation.

Another issue was also discussed today. Mr. President recalled that during the Soviet period, students from the Congo studied in higher schools in Azerbaijan. We want to restore this tradition, and relevant instructions have been issued.

To sum up, this is a historic visit, and not just because it is the first visit. I think that from the point of view of content and essence, this visit can be described as historic. A new page is opening in the relations between our countries. We have shown our political will, and I am sure that we will achieve the implementation of all the agreements reached with joint efforts.

Today, I invited Mr. President to participate in COP29, and members of our delegations were also instructed to establish extensive cooperation on this issue. As the president of COP29, Azerbaijan is diligently preparing for this event, and I think that it may be appropriate to cooperate with the Congo in bilateral and multilateral formats.

Once again, dear Mr. President, welcome to Azerbaijan. I wish you robust health and your people everlasting peace and prosperity. Thank you.