Congratulation on the occasion of July 22, the Day of National Press - July 21, 1994

Our national press, founded with the newspaper "Akinchi" by Hasan bey Zardabi, played an important role in the development of public thought in Azerbaijan and cultural and moral evolution of our people.

The Azerbaijani journalism, which has always been at the forefront of the national liberation movement, made contributions to identification and resolution of the issues facing the society. Today economic, political and social problems of independent Azerbaijan, inviolability of our borders, and the bloody war waged for the territorial integrity of our country remain the main themes of our journalists.

The Azerbaijani journalists working in conditions of freedom of press and speech, and performing this difficult and honorable work with dignity, serve for the formation of the democratic image of our country in the world.

I heartily congratulate journalists and all the press workers, and wish them successes in their difficult and honorable work for the sake of a brighter future of our country.

Heydar Aliyev,
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan