An event dedicated to Georgia's national holiday – the Independence Day – was held at the Heydar Aliyev Centre on 24 May. Speaker of Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova attended the event.

The gathering started with an opening speech by Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Georgia to our country Zurab Pataradze.

Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova conveyed the sincere congratulations and best wishes of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the national holiday of our friendly and brotherly Georgia – the Independence Day.

In her address, the Speaker remarked upon the many similarities between the historical fates of the Georgian and Azerbaijani nations. At the beginning of the last century, we declared our state independences and did it almost simultaneously. At that time, the Democratic Republic established in Georgia played an exceptional role in the development of the statehood traditions of the Georgian nation, she was saying.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis told the event participants that today's independent Georgia successfully continues the once-pending cause of the early 20th century. Georgia is developing confidently. The country is pursuing a well-thought-out policy aimed at socio-economic progress, improvement of the public well-being and securing the future of the people. The achievements made in all areas bring us as friends of Georgia immense joy.

The ties between Azerbaijan and Georgia have deep historical roots. For centuries, our peoples have been together, having always lived in amity and good neighbourliness, and having constantly supported each other. Our current relations are also based on this strong foundation and the will of our peoples. According to Sahiba Gafarova, our interstate relations have dynamically and comprehensively developed, reaching the level of strategic partnership in the period since the restoration of our independences. Mutual visits of the countries' leaders and their regular meetings are a clear expression of what great importance they attach to these relations. The high level of the political dialogue between the Heads of State gives a powerful impetus to the continuing strengthening and deepening of our relations in all areas.

Today, the mutually beneficial co-operation between our countries is successfully developing in many areas – economy, energy, transport-logistics, education, culture, tourism, and others. In fact, it would prove difficult to find an area in which we do not co-operate, said the Speaker of the Milli Majlis. The comprehensive activities of the Joint Inter-Governmental Commission on Economic Co-operation generate new opportunities for expanding our effective collaboration. Important projects jointly implemented by our countries ensure the prosperous future of our nations. Not only do those projects contribute to the stability and development of the South Caucasus but they also hold great significance for the entire Eurasian Region.

Going further to touch upon the humanitarian co-operation between our countries, Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said that the Georgians living in Azerbaijan and the Azerbaijanis living in Georgia play important roles in the development of our humanitarian ties. Activities in the fields of education, science and culture, especially the numerous projects implemented in Georgia by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation under the leadership of the esteemed First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, allow our peoples to get to know each other better.

Sahiba Gafarova also broached our countries’ co-operation on international platforms, saying that the strong partnership existing between Azerbaijan and Georgia and the mutual trust and respect which feature as the principal characteristics of our relations are also reflected in our activities on the international stage. Azerbaijan and Georgia always demonstrate solidarity in all the international organisations. Especially, there is always mutual support in matters of the territorial integrity, sovereignty and inviolability of the borders of our countries. Azerbaijan's position on this issue is unequivocal.

As Sahiba Gafarova emphasised, today's relations between Azerbaijan and Georgia are a clear example of how important and beneficial close co-operation between the countries of the region can indeed be. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova said she was confident that our friendship and partnership, built on solid foundations, will continue to develop rapidly and serve the progress of our peoples.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis