AzerTag, Azerbaijan State Info Agency
Jan 22 2005
PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV RECEIVES PARTICIPANTS OF THE DAYS OF ITAR-TASS
IN AZERBAIJAN
[January 22, 2005, 23:32:14]
On 22 January, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev
received at the Presidential Palace participants of the Days of the
Russian news agency ITAR-TASS in Azerbaijan.
Warmly greeting the guests, President Ilham Aliyev described the Days
of ITAR-TASS in Azerbaijan that had brought together heads of Russian
leading news agencies, highly reputable representatives of science,
culture, sport and other spheres of Russia’s social life, as a very
important event. He also pointed to its significance from the
standpoint of providing the public with true and objective
information about Azerbaijan.
The Head of State told of the problems Azerbaijan faced with in the
first years of its independence, re-establishment of stability in the
country which became possible thanks to the purposeful policy
initiated and pursued by national leader Heydar Aliyev, and the work
done for strengthening of ties of friendship and cooperation with
other countries including the Russian Federation. `The
Azerbaijan-Russia cooperation is steadily expanding in all fields,
and our countries have no contradictions in this regard,’ he said.
Pointing to the high level of ethnic and religious tolerance in
Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev said that Russian-writing press in
the country had even more developed since independence.
The Azerbaijani leader also informed the guests on the large-scale
energy projects implemented in Azerbaijan, economic growth in the
country and progress gained in its provinces.
President Ilham Aliyev also touched upon the Azerbaijan’s most
painful problem, the conflict with Armenia over Nagorno-Karabakh,
emphasizing that `we want to solve the problem peacefully, but if
it’s not possible, Azerbaijan will have to resort to other means to
release its lands.’
Leader of the Russian delegation, Director General of ITAR-TASS
Vitaliy Ignatenko thanked the Azerbaijani President for hospitality,
and noted that the visit of such a large delegation representing
various spheres of the Russian society plays an exceptional role in
strengthening and deepening of friendship and cooperation between the
two countries.
Speakers at the meeting – Chief of the Federal Agency on Press and
Mass Communications Mkhail Seslavinski, Chairman of the Russian
Committee on Sport Vyacheslav Fetisov, Head of the Department of
Culture at the Ministry of Press and Culture Mikhail Shvydkoy,
Vice-President of the International Olympic Committee, Honorary
President of the Russian Olympic Committee Vitaliy Smirnov, renowned
Political Scientist Gennadiy Burbulis, Cardiologist, Academician
Renat Akchurin, Editor-in -Chief of the `Moskovskiye Novosti’
newspaper Pavel Gusev and First Deputy Director General of ITAR-TASS
Mikhail Gusman – pointed out apparent progress in all spheres of life
in Azerbaijan they had witnessed, and expressed confidence in good
prospects of the country.
In the end, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev presented `Shohrat’
/Glory/ order to ITAR-TASS First Deputy Director General Mikhail
Gusman he had been awarded for contribution to development of
cultural ties between Azerbaijan and Russia.