Dear friends!

I salute you on the occasion of the Third Russian-Azerbaijani Inter-Regional Forum “Russian-Azerbaijani Dialogue-2012”.

It is gratifying that Russian-Azerbaijani inter-regional relations are consistently developing covering tens of thousands of citizens of both countries. Such cooperation plays a significant role in strengthening the spirit of trust and mutual understanding between our peoples and largely determines the overall positive trend in the relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.

One of the most effective tools of interaction between our countries has been the Russian-Azerbaijani inter-regional forum. In a relatively short time it has earned a reputation as a platform for an open and constructive dialogue between representatives of governments, business and expert communities of Russia and Azerbaijan. The forum has become a powerful generator of projects and initiatives that are significant to our partnership, and their geography and subject matter are constantly expanding.

I wish you productive work and successful implementation of your plans for the benefit of our countries and peoples.

Vladimir Putin
President of the Russian Federation Moscow, 27 June 2012