AzerTag, Azerbaijan
Dec 2 2004

PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN ILHAM ALIYEV ACCEPTS CREDENTIALS FROM
AMBASSADOR EXTRAORDINARY AND PLENIPOTENTIARY OF UKRAINE
[December 02, 2004, 17:35:14]

On 2 December, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
accepted credentials from newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Azerbaijan Anatoliy Yurchenko.

While presenting the credentials to the Head of State, Anatoliy
Yurchenko expressed gratitude for this opportunity saying `this is a
recognition of mine as Ukrainian Ambassador to the Republic of
Azerbaijan, and this is a political recognition of Ukraine in its
hard days.’

The Ambassador noted that although friendship between Azerbaijan and
Ukraine has existed at all times, it was especially developed under
big friend of Ukraine Heydar Aliyev. It was improved during his visit
to Ukraine in 1997, and sealed legally in the course of our
President’s visit to Azerbaijan in 2000, he said.

Anatoliy Yurchenko described President Ilham Aliyev’s recent visit to
Ukraine as a great political step towards development of cooperation
and partnership, as well.

He also expressed gratitude to Azerbaijan for the active support and
cooperation in the international arena, mutual understanding and
cooperation within such international and regional organizations as
the United Nations, Council of Europe, OSCE, BSEC, GUUAM and CIS.

Accepting the credentials, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
congratulated the Ambassador on the appointment and wished him every
success in his activities. He expressed gratitude for the monument to
Heydar Aliyev erected in Kiev to perpetuate his memory. This is yet
another indication of sincere, friendly and brotherly relations
between our two nations, the Head of State said.

According to the Azerbaijani leader, especially valuable and
important for Azerbaijan was the unambiguous stance of Ukraine with
respect to the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over
Nagorno-Karabakh that President Leonid Kuchma expressed during the
joint press-conference in Kiev clearly stating `territorial integrity
of Azerbaijan shall be restored and Azerbaijan shall be released for
the occupation.’