Dear President Ilham Aliyev:{nl}

At the opening ceremony of the recently concluded World Conference on Soft Computing dedicated to my 90th anniversary which was held in San Francisco, Prof. Dr. Ali M. Abbasov, Minister of Communications and Information Technologies presented to me, on your behalf, the Friendship Order. I should like to express to You my great appreciation for awarding this prestigious Order to me. For me, this Order has a special significance because it is awarded to me by You - the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. I see You as a world leader who stands head and shoulders above most other leaders on the world stage.
With Your farsighted vision Azerbaijan has become an advantageously competitive and sustainable country in the world. I am delighted to see the country transforming into the non-oil driven economy, where information technologies sector has been prioritized. I am confident some years later with its ICT as well as R&D and hi-tech export capacities Azerbaijan will become a real leader in the wide region.
The Conference drew participants from all over the world, including a delegation from Azerbaijan. Support and encouragement of Yours played a major role in the success of the Conference. You are a man of vision, initiative and bold ideas. I feel privileged to have your patronage, friendship and strong support.
Azerbaijan is becoming more beautiful and attractive country and the country you lead has made a huge and progressive development in all spheres. Azerbaijan is going to become one of the best destinations to live in. And, we, all sons and daughters of Azerbaijan are proud of seeing such a country with all bright prospects. I thank you a lot for your support for the fellow-countrymen living outside of the country and my case is a bright example.
Availing myself of this opportunity, dear Mr. President, I would like to wish you strong health, continuous successes in your work, huge achievements in all your initiatives as well as peace and progress to the native nation of Azerbaijan.
Again, with my great respect and admiration.

Sincerely,

Lotfi A. Zadeh
Professor in the Graduate School and
Director, Berkeley Initiative in Soft Computing (BISC)
University of California, Berkeley