Israeli President Isaac Herzog has sent a congratulatory letter to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Axar.az presents the text of the letter:

His Excellency Mr. Ilham Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Your Excellency, my friend,

On behalf of the State of Israel and its citizens, I am delighted to share my warmest wishes on the occasion of the Republic of Azerbaijan's Independence Day. May this day of pride and celebration usher in another year of peace and prosperity for your nation and its people.

Here in Israel, there is a deep appreciation for our strategically vital and vibrant ties with Azerbaijan. This extends beyond politics, including a warm friendship that exists between our two peoples.

In particular, it has been a special privilege to be able to call you a friend, and I find great value in our open and honest dialogue. I sincerely appreciated the opportunity to see you in Davos at the beginning of the year.

There are many challenges in our shared region, and Azerbaijan and Israel serve as two anchors of stability in this complex environment. Moreover, I firmly believe that our strong, bilateral ties serve as a positive influence on many other actors throughout Eurasia.

In that vein, I was very pleased to learn of the significant progress made with our economic cooperation, particularly in the realm of energy. I hope that our ties will continue to strengthen in the year to come.

Once again, may the coming year be one of continued success and progress for the great nation of Azerbaijan and its people.

With my sincerest regards,

Warmly,

Isaac Herzog

President of the State of Israel