OFFICIAL DOCUMENTS

Dear Mr. President,

On the occasion of the National Day of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I cordially congratulate you and wish the people of Azerbaijan peace, prosperity and tranquility. Once again I would like to thank you for the hospitability I was shown during my visit to Baku on April 25.

I am very happy that our cooperation based on confidence and friendship between our countries has strengthened even further in recent years. I wish that our mutual partnership developed and diversified. During my last visit to your country we agreed on the main principles of Azerbaijani-French University which is highly important as it will benefit the youth of both countries.

I assure you that as a Minsk Group co-chair France will remain committed to its obligations to ensure peaceful and negotiated settlement of the long-lasting Nagorno-Karabakh conflict that hinders progress of the Caucasus region.

As I noted at the Riga Summit of the Eastern Partnership I back the continuation and strengthening of the relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan based on mutual respect for each partner. From this point of view I wish that the negotiations aimed at modernizing the strategic partnership were conducted as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

Francois Hollande

President of the French Republic