Official reception was hosted in honor of Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic

An official reception has been hosted in honor of Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic who is paying an official visit to the Republic of Azerbaijan. 

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic addressed the reception.

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said:

- Mr. Chairman!

First Lady!

Dear guests!

I would like to welcome you to our country again. I am very glad that you are visiting Azerbaijan. You will have a very busy program today and tomorrow. I am sure that close familiarization with our country and communication with our people will create a good impression about Azerbaijan.

As I pointed out during our meeting today, we must reestablish closer and sincere relations between our countries. Forty years after the agreement on declaring Sarajevo and Baku twinned cities, the Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina is paying an official visit to our country for the first time in the history of our relationship.

I am sure that the development of relations between our countries will be continued successfully. But this visit will remain in history as the first official visit of a high-level delegation.

The discussions we held today and the documents signed provide a good basis for the development of bilateral relations. I am sure that in order to achieve even more agreements between our governments, we must continue to work hard on the legislative format. It is important for our cooperation. At the same time, we need even more contacts at all levels – political, business, at the level of public figures and artists. We can achieve large-scale cooperation. To date, we have created a solid foundation for political relations, mutual support in international organizations and good prospects for economic cooperation. But I am confident that our ties will become even wider and stronger in the coming years.

I note again that it is a historic day today. I am very pleased to meet with you. I am sure that you will not forget your visit to our country. So I say again: Welcome to Azerbaijan!

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Speaking then, Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina Bakir Izetbegovic said:

- Thank you, Mr. President! I am very exceedingly grateful for the warm welcome. I have to say that the beauty of your city is very impressive. The cleanness and beauty of your city have produced a very pleasant impression on us. In the true sense of the word, it is a very comfortable and beautiful city. It says a lot about what people you are. As you noted, we have similarities, a similar history. We are united by the realities faced by our countries and peoples, and a series of painful events which occurred in 1990, 1992 and 2003. As I said today, we will always be with you.

The forcible change of borders, as it happened here 20 years ago, is impossible and unacceptable. Therefore, we will continue to fight peacefully for the territorial integrity of our country. I think that our future will be brighter and more prosperous. In that hard, difficult and, at the same time, glorious period our countries were led by our fathers who laid the foundation of the sovereignty of our countries. I can say that we have already overcome the difficult period in our history and are now on the path of sustainable development. We intend to build a brighter future.

I wish you al the best. You can rely on our support. I look forward to your visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina and joint investment by our countries. Thank you.