Dear Mr Macron,

I extend my heartfelt congratulations to you on the occasion of your victory in the presidential election in the French Republic. Your victory in the election testifies to the friendly French people's confidence in and support for your line of innovation.

I attach great importance to the bilateral and multuilateral relations between Azerbaijan and France. The high-level reciprocal visits, expansion of beneficial cooperation in a variety of fields and multifaceted cultural relations are features characterizing Azerbaijan-France diplomatic relations, whose history spans 25 years. I believe that through our joint efforts, friendship and cooperation between our two countries will further develop and enhance in the best interests of our nations.

France is as well a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group which deals with the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, the region's most painful problem. An ethnic cleansing policy has been carried out in our historical lands, including Nagorno-Karabakh and seven adjacent regions, which were occupied as a result of the military aggression of the Armenian armed forces, and more than a million of Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons.

Armenia ignores the UN Security Council`s four conflict-related resolutions as well as relevant decisions and resolutions of the UN General Assembly, OSCE, NATO, European Parliament, PACE, Non-Aligned Movement, OIC and other influential international organizations. France, like other co-chairs, considers the current status-quo unacceptable. I attach particular importance to France`s efforts and hope that they will finally contribute to a fair settlement of the conflict. Azerbaijan's stance is that the conflict must be solved only in compliance with the norms of international law and within Azerbaijan`s territorial integrity.

Once again, I extend my sincere congratulations to you, and wish you robust health, happiness and success in your future activities for the prosperity of the friendly people of France.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 8 May, 2017