OFFICIAL NEWS
PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVED US AIDE TO SECRETARY OF STATE FOR EUROPE AND ASIA AFFAIRS AMBASSADOR MS. LORA KENNEDY
Greeting the guest cordially and expressing satisfaction with the meeting, the Head of the Azerbaijan State underlined the latest success in development of links in numerous fields between Azerbaijan and the United States. President Ilham Aliyev said that this is apparent in both bilateral and regional cooperation. Both countries also have similar position in the international questions.
Dwelling on the global energy projects, President of Azerbaijan said that ceremony welding of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan Main Export Pipeline recently held on the border of Azerbaijan and Georgia was of great importance. President Ilham Aliyev highly estimated support of the US government in realization of this project and particularly underlined the role of the United States in this. This is good example of regional cooperation, at the same time, high level of bilateral relations of Azerbaijan and the United States.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed confidence that Ms. Lora Kennedy’s visit to the Country would serve further strengthening of Azerbaijan-US links.
Ms. Lora Kennedy expressed gratitude for kind words and congratulated head of the Azerbaijan State on the Day of Independence. She recalled the message of congratulations sent on this occasion by the US President Mr. George Bush.
Ms. Lora Kennedy congratulated president Ilham Aliyev with the yearly anniversary of his activity as President of the Republic. Noting that she for the fist time has been in the Republic in 1992, Ms. Kennedy said that in this time she was eyewitness of great accomplishments and changes in the Country.
Underlining strategic partnership level of Azerbaijan-US cooperation, the guest said that the country was developing very intensively. Highly assessing Azerbaijan’s activity in fighting international terrorism, Ms. Kennedy said this is also of strategic importance.
Touching upon the recently marked anniversary of the “Contract of the Century”, she said that said that it was a landmark event. Realization of the East-West energy corridor will give strong impulse to development of regional cooperation, rise of welfare of the peoples and economic growth in the region. The people of Azerbaijan will greatly benefited of these projects, Ms. Kennedy emphasized.
Reminding the recent welding ceremony on the borders of Georgia-Azerbaijan, Ms. Lora Kennedy highly assessed Azerbaijan’s active role in realization of the regional projects, stressing that “they could not be realized without efforts of Azerbaijan”.
Ms. Kennedy expressed pleasure with economic success in realization of large projects in the country, with the reforms conducted in all fields. She also reminded President Ilham Aliyev’s words of creating of 600 thousand working places and expressed consent with these real steps. The guest welcomed the President’s efforts to reach political dialogue in society, stating that this is of great significance from the point of view of creating a new political environment in the Republic. She gave high assessment to the efforts for complete solution of the question related to the so-called “political prisoners”. Ms. Lora Kennedy expressed confidence that the relations between Azerbaijan and America would further develop and strengthen.
Head of the foreign relations department of President Administration Novruz Mammadov and ambassador of the United States to Azerbaijan Reno Harnish attended the reception.