HEYDAR ALIYEV’S JUBILEE CELEBRATED IN MOSCOW
The government of the Russian Federation, Moscow Mayor’s Office, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, ITAR-TASS news agency and Azerbaijan Embassy to Russia co-organized a solemn ceremony to mark the 85th birthday of the national leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev Wednesday in the Russia’s capital city.
Present at the event were Chief of Azerbaijani President’s Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev and his Russian counterpart Sergei Narishkin, Assistant to the Russian President Jahan Polliyeva, First Vice-Mayor of Moscow Lyudmila Shvetsova, Russian First Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs Andrei Denisov, Director General of ITAR-TASS Vitaly Ignatenko, Chairman of the Interstate Aviation Committee Tatiana Anodina, Vice-President of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai Laverov, Director General of the State Tretyakov Gallery Valentin Rodionov, Azerbaijan’s ambassador to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu, as well as representatives of diplomatic missions accredited in Moscow and others.
Opening the event, Moscow First Vice-Mayor Lyudmila Shvetsova described Heydar Aliyev as one of the world’s greatest political figures. She particularly stressed the role the national leader had played in expansion and deepening of relations between Azerbaijan and Russia.
Chief of Russian President’s Administration Sergei Narishkin said Heydar Aliyev is remembered not only in Azerbaijan but also in Russia and many other countries. “Both Russia and Azerbaijan owe him a debt of gratitude for their achievements in economic and social spheres,” he stressed.
Mr. Narishkin noted that today’s high-level relations between Russia and Azerbaijan are in the interests of the two countries. He also announced that Russian President Dmitri Medvedev has issued a decree awarding the Order of Friendship to the Chief of the Azerbaijani President’s Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev for his contributions to strengthening and development of friendship and good neighborhood ties between the two nations.
Addressing the event Ramiz Mehdiyev thanked its organizers and conveyed President Ilham Aliyev’s greetings to attendees. He dealt on the life and activities of Heydar Aliyev. Mr. Mehdiyev pointed out the tremendous role the great leader played in history of not only Azerbaijan and the former USSR but also the whole world. He said: “Heydar Aliyev is a great person, an architect and founder of the sovereign and democratic Azerbaijan. His legacy for future generations is the independent state capable of governing itself. The name of the national leader of Azerbaijan has been recorded in golden letters in the world history along with those of George Washington, Mustafa Kamal Ataturk, Konrad Adenauer and Vladimir Putin.”
Chief of the Azerbaijani President’s Administration went on to say that Heydar Aliyev’s policy towards enhancing international prestige of Azerbaijan is now being successfully continued by incumbent President Ilham Aliyev. He pointed out that the Azerbaijan leader attaches great importance to expansion of strategic partnership with Russia. “We are keen on boosting relations with Russia in all areas. Our peoples highly value their century-old friendship and good neighborhood ties,” Ramiz Mehdiyev said.
Other speakers including Director General of ITAR-TASS news agency Vitaly Ignatenko, Vice-president of the Russian Academy of Sciences Nikolai Laverov, Director General of State Tretyakov Gallery Valentin Rodionov, People’s Artist of Russia Gennadi Khazanov also were among those, who shared their unforgettable memories of Heydar Aliyev.
The official part of the event was followed by a concert by famous Russian and Azerbaijani performers.
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