Dear Mr. President, On my own behalf and on behalf of the people of Azerbaijan, I extend my sincere congratulations and best wishes to you and through you to your brotherly people on the occasion of the national day of your country – the Independence Day.Under your leadership, fraternal Uzbekistan has passed a great path of development in recent years. The strengthening of statehood, socio-economic development of the country, fruitful activity within the international and regional organizations, and its day by day growing influence on the global scale have been possible thanks to your leadership, wise and far-sighted policy.The interstate relations between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan stem from the brotherhood, historical friendship of our peoples and their attachment to common cultural roots. The fact that our multifaceted cooperation built on these good traditions and solid foundations, as well as our strategic partnership based on mutual trust and confidence are developing and expanding successfully today, is gratifying. At the same time, I want to note in particular our successful collaboration and mutual support within international institutions.I am confident that through our joint efforts the traditional ties of friendship and the cooperation of mutual interest between Azerbaijan and Uzbekistan will continue to develop rapidly and deepen even further to the benefit of our peoples.On this festive day, I wish you the best of health, happiness, and success in your endeavors, and the brotherly people of Uzbekistan everlasting peace and prosperity.Sincerely,   Ilham Aliyev President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Baku, 29 August 2022