The speech of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev at the ceremony of presenting him the diploma of Honorable guest of Kiev and the symbolic key of Kiev - Kiev Municipality, March 25, 1997


Mr. Mayor Alexander Omelchenko!

Ladies and gentlemen!

Last two days I have been hosted in Kiev, Ukraine with great respect and hospitality.

I am paying an official visit to your country by the invitation of the Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma. I am glad that this visit is in a friendly atmosphere.

We did much in creating a favorable ground for the development of the cooperation between Ukraine and Azerbaijan. The documents signed by the Ukrainian and Azerbaijani delegations, as well as by the President Kuchma and me establish a suitable legal basis for the development of friendly relations between our countries. We highly appreciate it.

Mr. Kuchma paid an official visit to Azerbaijan in July 1995. Then we established a good basis for our cooperation, expressed the will of our nations on the development of mutual relations and signed several significant documents. The period after that visit demonstrated great potential and opportunities for the development of our relations.

The documents signed yesterday and the negotiations conducted with the President, ministers, in the Parliament and Municipality in the last two days show that we are at an important stage of our cooperation and there are good perspectives for our countries. We do our best in order to develop our cooperation.

While being in Kiev we felt the hospitality of the population and city authorities. I appreciate their attitude. I am especially glad for the ceremony today. I am glad to see the Mayor of Kiev Mr. Alexander Omelchenko, Ukrainian ministers and members of parliament. I extend you the best regards of the population of Baku and Azerbaijan.

There are traditionally friendly relations between Kiev and Baku, as well as between Ukraine and Azerbaijan. Today I am confident that there is a huge potential of Kiev, Baku and our countries to develop these relations. I am very pleased to receive the diploma of Honorable guest of Kiev and the symbolic key of Kiev. It is a historic event for me. I regard it as a respect to Azerbaijan and to my personality. I thank you. It is a pleasure for me to become an honorable guest of Kiev, which was the origin of the Russian state and has been the symbol of the Ukrainian independence. I feel great responsibility now. I shall further be a reliable friend of Kiev and the Ukrainian people and do my best for the development of the friendly relations between our countries.

I invite you to Baku, Azerbaijan. We will be delighted to host you there. Your visit is most likely to be a new step in the development of our relations.

I cordially thank you and express my respect to the Ukrainian people. Thank you very much.

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Comments of Heydar Aliyev on the Guest Book of the Kiev Municipality:

Today I received the diploma of Honorable guest of Kiev and the symbolic key of Kiev from the Mayor Mr. Omelchenko with a great pleasure. Kiev is a city of rich history, humanism, heroism and great culture.

I am very glad to become an honorable guest of this beautiful city. I accept it as a friendly attitude towards Azerbaijan. I am sure that the friendly relations between Ukraine and Azerbaijan have a bright future. Our duty is to realize the opportunities. I wish the population of Kiev peace and progress.

Heydar Aliyev,
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan.