US president congratulates Azerbaijani counterpart

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 24 Trend: US President Joseph Biden congratulated President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of May 28 - Republic Day. "Dear Mr. President, on behalf of the American people, I send greetings and congratulations to you and the people of Azerbaijan as you observe Republic Day on May 28," the US president said. "This year marks 30 years since the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence in 1991," Biden added. "During that time, the United States and Azerbaijan have worked together on security, energy, and democratic governance issues, while strengthening ties between the American and Azerbaijani peoples." "The United States strongly supports Azerbaijan's important contributions to European energy diversification with last year's launch of the Southern Gas Corridor and this year's memorandum of understanding on joint exploration of the Caspian with Turkmenistan," the US president said. "We are grateful for Azerbaijan's 20 years of support for NATO's mission in Afghanistan and efforts to combat terrorism. As a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, we remain committed to helping the sides negotiate a long-term political settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict." "After a year marked by conflict and the coronavirus pandemic, it is my sincere hope that Azerbaijan emerges from these challenges a more prosperous nation that respects the human rights and fundamental freedoms of its people and lives at peace with its neighbors," Biden said. "My best wishes to the people of Azerbaijan on their Republic Day."