President Aliyev: Azerbaijan takes immense pride in Uzbekistan’s achievements

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has congratulated Uzbek President Shavkat Mirziyoyev on the 35th anniversary of Uzbekistan’s independence, praising the country’s development and the strengthening of ties between the two states.

In a letter to Mirziyoyev, Aliyev extended his sincere congratulations and best wishes to the Uzbek president and, through him, to the people of Uzbekistan, on behalf of himself and the people of Azerbaijan.

Aliyev said that, since gaining independence, Uzbekistan had followed a path of “comprehensive and dynamic development”, achieving significant progress and gaining recognition both regionally and internationally.

He credited large-scale reforms and construction projects, economic progress and improvements in social welfare to the country’s development under Mirziyoyev’s leadership.

Aliyev also highlighted what he described as the Uzbek people’s trust and support for the policies pursued by their government, saying these had been central to Uzbekistan’s achievements.

“As a brotherly country and ally, we consider every success of Uzbekistan our own and take immense pride in it,” Aliyev said.

He also recalled his recent state visit to Uzbekistan and meeting with Mirziyoyev, saying he had witnessed the country’s achievements first-hand.

According to Aliyev, Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan relations, built on shared historical and cultural roots, friendship and brotherhood, were now at their “highest level”.

He added that the further development and strengthening of bilateral relations remained among Azerbaijan’s priorities, while noting that the two countries’ interstate relations and alliance were becoming stronger and their multifaceted cooperation was gaining new practical substance.

"I am confident that, through our joint efforts, we will continue to successfully fulfill the honorable mission entrusted to us to preserve our greatest asset—the Azerbaijan-Uzbekistan unity—to develop our comprehensive cooperation, and to constantly strengthen our alliance," he wrote.