Baku, February 6 (AZERTAC). Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev receives heads of foreign delegations attending the 4th Congress of Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation (ATUC).

The President stressed the fact that the delegations of foreign countries attended the ATUC Congress, saying it testified to “good cooperation between trade unions of our countries”.

President Ilham Aliyev praised Azerbaijan`s relations with the countries represented at the ATUC Congress in political, economic and humanitarian areas.

The Head of State emphasized the role of trade unions in strengthening statehood and protecting the rights of workers.

The President spoke of Azerbaijan`s economic achievements. He said the country had taken considerable steps towards creating new jobs and tackling the problem of unemployment.

The Head of State said the activity of trade unions was being expanded in Azerbaijan.

Deputy Secretary General of Russia`s Trade Unions Confederation Valery Yuriyev said the ATUC Congress was excellently organized. He praised President Ilham Aliyev`s attention to trade unions in Azerbaijan.

Chairman of Belarus Confederation of Trade Unions Leonid Kozik extended Belarus leader Alexander Lukaschenko`s greetings to the Azerbaijani President. He said Alexander Lukaschenko highly appreciated the friendly relations between Belarus and Azerbaijan. Leonid Kozik recalled his meetings with Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev. He said he was impressed by economic development processes taking place in Azerbaijan in recent years. Leonid Kozik praised the Azerbaijani President`s attention to trade unions in the country.

President Ilham Aliyev asked Leonid Kozik to pass on his greetings and best wishes to Belarus leader Alexander Lukaschenko. The Head of State recalled Alexander Lukaschenko`s visits to Azerbaijan and his own visits to Belarus, stressing the role of high-level reciprocal visits in expanding the friendly relations between the two countries.

President of Moldova`s National Trade Unions Confederation Oleg Budza extended Moldovan leader Nikolae Timofti`s greetings to the Azerbaijani President. He praised the organization of the ATUC Congress. Oleg Budza thanked the Azerbaijani President for the implementation of a project to build a Heydar Aliyev sport complex in Moldova.

President Ilham Aliyev asked Oleg Budza to pass on his greetings to his Moldovan counterpart Nikolae Timofti.

Chairperson of Uzbekistan`s Federation of Trade Unions Tanzila Narbayeva extended President Islam Karimov`s greetings to the Azerbaijani President. She praised the relations between the two countries, saying they were developing in a variety of areas. Tanzila Narbayeva said Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan had signed more than 100 documents on expansion of the bilateral relations so far. She stressed the importance of a memorandum of understanding signed between Uzbekistan`s and Azerbaijan`s trade unions confederations.

President Ilham Aliyev asked Tanzila Narbayeva to pass on his greetings to his Uzbek counterpart Islam Karimov. The Azerbaijani President noted the role of high-level reciprocal visits in strengthening the bilateral relations.

At the end of the meeting chairman of Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation Sattar Mehbaliyev presented President Ilham Aliyev with a badge marking the 20th anniversary of ATUC.