On January 27, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliev received at the Presidential Palace the outstanding musician of the present Mstislav Rostropovich.

Welcoming the visitor, the head of Azerbaijani state Ilham Aliyev said:

- You are welcome. It is very pleased to see again you on the Native land, in Azerbaijan. We recently, it is literally several days ago, met in Paris, and it was very pleasant to see fellow countrymen. I am very grateful to you that you have found time for arrival. We waited this day though imagined day of the opening of our Philharmonic Society after repair in another way. Unfortunately, it has turned out not how we wanted. Nevertheless, all this equally joyful and is a holiday. Today, I think, the Philharmonic Society again comes back to the Azerbaijani spectator, the students, and citizens of the country.

Each your arrival is a holiday for us. Everyone loves you, all very much appreciate, and is proud of you. You were connected with great friendship with Heydar Aliyevich, and sincere relations. They were an example for our generation, how it is necessary to be friends and how carefully to concern to each other. And certainly, we who follow closely you, shall be and to develop further these relations in the same direction. I am very glad to see you. At your loaded schedule, extensive programs to find time to arrive here for this purpose there should be a big impulse of heart, soul. I am very glad, happy and with impatience, I wait for evening when we with you will take part in this big event.

Having thanked the President of Azerbaijan for warm reception, Mstislav Rostropovich said:

- Allow me to tell some words, having taken advantage of presence here of the press. When I saw you on the reception given in your honor at Minister of Defense of France, I then could not tell personally to you how I am happy, that you continue the course of the father. I think that there should be any will of Almighty. Certainly, it is impossible to be such person as Heydar Aliyevich. But that you as his son continue the life of that person which so has much made for Azerbaijan and so has much made personally for me. He has returned me to Azerbaijan, and has returned Azerbaijan in my heart as my Native Land. So, I all life shall think of him with love, with gratitude.

And today, I think of how to construct my program. You know, for me opening of a concert hall, which was planned at his presence, certainly, on the one hand, is a holiday, and with another - in fact, my ideas and my memoirs are entirely absorbed by my friend. Therefore, today I have decided to make so. In the beginning, after opening addresses will be told - I have brought here a violoncello - I shall play music by Bach for violoncello solo. This sounds as a pray, I want to begin before will start to play an orchestra, and through music, without translation to pray. To pray music … I shall start with it, and then I shall play product of the remarkable Azerbaijan composer, the woman, you well know her, the composition which will sound for the first time, she has written it specially for opening this hall.

I am happy, that have arrived here, I have arrived to Baku as to my home. It is a pity that I can be here only today. I yesterday have arrived, tomorrow, early in the morning, should leave. I am very grateful to you that you have found time to meet me now. I wish you many - many happiness on a way, which you will continue, which was planned by your ingenious father.

Ilham Aliyev: “Many thanks to you for warm, sincere words. In fact, all of us have mixed feelings. Each holiday, each new moment, each joyful event, is accompanied and by sorrow. Sorrow in connection with the passing of the person who has created all this which, in essence has anew created the Azerbaijan state that hi is not with us. The same is with the Philharmonic Society. Each time, passing by, you test inconsistent feelings and pleasures, and long, grief. And too it is very hard for you, you have for the first time arrived to Azerbaijan, when there is no your friend. Probably, these feelings of us both pull together, and help to go through together it to mountain. However, the life proceeds, the country develops. And our task of all those who here lives, and the friends to Azerbaijan living outside our country, consists that course of Heydar Aliyev proceeded. Unique rescue and well being of our people consists in it. Therefore, I want to express once again to you gratitude that you have arrived, to express hope that your arrivals will proceed as on a regular basis, as before. And every year, and may be often, we shall meet you, simply to communicate, recollect and think of the future.

Mstislav Rostropovich: “I want to tell to you about how wonderfully you were met in Paris”.