Munich, February 14, AZERTAC

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has met with President of the Republic of Moldova Igor Dodon in Munich.

Greeting the President of Moldova, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- I am very glad to see you again, Igor Nikolayevich. We regularly meet at international events and continue this tradition of using any platform to see each other again, review our agenda and determine further ways of developing cooperation. The year is just beginning. Therefore, I think that it should be successful for our relationship. In principle, what we have outlined is being implemented. The available contacts are evidence of the active development of relations. We have exchanged views on how to fill our relations with specific economic factors. I think there will be more active economic cooperation this year. Of course, our contacts will be continued. Therefore, I think that this year will also be very positive for our relations. We have friendly relations. We always try to support each other. Of course, I recall your visit to our country. Again, we will look forward to seeing you at the international events planned this year so that such an active political dialogue does not stop.

President Igor Dodon said:

- Dear Mr. President, first of all, I am very pleased to meet with you here at an important international venue in Munich again. I want to note the very good dynamics of our bilateral relations, and the agreements we have signed actually cover the whole range of our contacts. I want to congratulate you on the holding of the parliamentary elections, to congratulate you on the result that the party supporting you has received. I know that there were our observers there. Also, representatives of the pro-presidential party of socialists were observers as well. They noted a very good level of organization and the fact that the elections were democratic. We congratulate you on this!

This year is a very important one for our bilateral relations. In 2017, we launched a social project in Moldova, in Gagauzia. I want to officially invite you to the Republic of Moldova again. We should already open it this year. I hope that your official visit will take place this year. We will hold several important events. It is necessary to hold a meeting of the intergovernmental commission. As you may know, we have a new government in Moldova now, and it is led by my former adviser, Mr. Ion Kiku Ion. From our side, we have already approved the new composition of the intergovernmental commission. I do hope that a meeting of co-chairs will be held in the near future to prepare a meeting of the intergovernmental commission. It can be held in our country or in yours. It depends on what we agree on. But we really hope that you pay an official visit to our country in the coming months.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you for the invitation. I will gladly take this opportunity to visit beautiful Moldova. I have very good memories.

Х Х Х

The sides exchanged views on other issues of mutual interest.