Speech of the Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev at the official meeting with the leaders of the embassies of foreign states, representation of the international organizations and foreign companies in Azerbaijan - Presidential residence, December 30, 1996


Dear ladies and gentlemen!

I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on the occasion of the forthcoming New Year of 1997. I wish you health, happiness and success in the life of your countries and nations.

We live together the last days of 1996. As stepping to the New Year, we can say with a feeling of satisfaction that 1996 was a successful and a peace-time year for all of us.

For our republic 1996 was a year of strengthening of state independence and development of Azerbaijan. The relations of Azerbaijan with the countries of the world enlarged in 1996. The relations of Azerbaijan were expanded with international organizations, with international financial centers and with large companies of the world in the economic field.

In attaining of all these achievements, in development of cooperation of the Azerbaijan Republic with countries of the world, the activity of embassies of different countries of the world in our republic, international organizations and representations of large economic companies are worthy of higher estimation.

Dear guests!

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

I heartily congratulate the ambassadors of foreign countries in Azerbaijan, the representatives of international organizations, financial centers and large companies on the occasion of a New Year and I express my gratitude for the successful cooperation with Azerbaijan.

Your countries, nations reached great successes in their life in 1996, took an active part in the processes happening over the world. I congratulate you from the bottom of my heart on these achievements. At the same time, today welcoming 1997, we realize what responsible and great tasks are standing ahead us. Therefore, both you and we live with great hopes for the future.

I wish that the expectations of the Azerbaijani people and your nations, countries were justified. I wish peace and order all over the world to grow stronger and the mutual relations develop between our countries, to enlarge the cooperation to develop and all nations to live in prosperity in 1997.

I wish military conflicts in different regions of the world to be solved in 1997. I think that it is our mutual desire to solve the Upper Garabagh (Nagorno-Karabakh) conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan in a peaceful way in 1997, and creating of calmness and peace in our region in the Caucasus.

Dear friends, in order to fulfil these hopes and wishes, I call everybody for the cooperation. You can be confident, that the Azerbaijan Republic and its government will carry out step by step its peaceful external policy in the future.

Our wish consists of creating of peace, stability in the country. Our wish consists of creating of peace and order in our region - in the Caucasus. Our wish consists of creating of peace and order in entire world, in every corner of the world. I congratulate you with these wishes heartily on the forthcoming 1997 year, I wish you, your families health, happiness, success in all your deeds. Happy New Year!