Polad Bulbuloglu: Russia has a special role in issue of restoring Azerbaijan's territorial integrity - PHOTO

Baku. 27 May. REPORT.AZ/ Moscow has hosted a reception on the occasion of the May 28 – the Republic Day, Russian bureau of Report News Agency reports.

Representatives of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, diplomatic corps accredited in Moscow, prominent figures of science and culture, members of Azerbaijani diaspora in Russia have attended the reception in honor of the national holiday of Azerbaijan.

In his welcoming speech, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu noted the importance of the holiday for the Azerbaijani people.

"The Day of the Republic is a continuation of the traditions of the statehood of the Azerbaijani people. In a year we will solemnly celebrate the 100th anniversary of this historic event that opened a new era in the history of the entire Muslim East.The Azerbaijani Democratic Republic (ADR) has been an example of a new state and society that has organically absorbed European democratic values, peculiarities of oriental culture, Azerbaijani national spiritual ideals", said Polad Bulbuloglu.

Noting the succession of modern Azerbaijan from ADR, Azerbaijani Ambassador drew the attention of guests to the unresolved Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, creating a hotbed of tension in the South Caucasus.

"Keeping the right to solve this problem by any means, our country is a supporter of a peaceful resolution of the conflict through negotiations, and therefore we pin our hopes on the manifestation by all responsible members of the world community of a principled position on the need to restore territorial integrity of Azerbaijan. Of course, Russia, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and, ultimately, is a country historically and geographically closely linked to the South Caucasus and our peoples", diplomat said.

The Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, Grigory Karasin, who followed him, congratulated the Azerbaijanis on the national holiday and wished success and prosperity to Azerbaijan.

"Russia and Azerbaijan are linked by a strategic partnership based on principles of equality, good-neighborliness, centuries-old traditions of friendship, common history and culture, the intertwined fates of millions of people. This year we celebrate the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The scale and quality of Russian-Azerbaijani interaction is growing", Karasin stressed.

Having told about the achievements in trade and economic, as well as scientific and technical cooperation of the two countries, he promised that Russia will make every effort to speedily resolve the Armenian-Azerbaijani, Nagorno-Karabakh conflict as soon as possible.

Then Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Russia Polad Bulbuloglu and the representative of the State Committee for Work with the Diaspora presented the state awards of Azerbaijan to a group of people.

By the decree of the President of Azerbaijan, medal "Tereggi" was awarded to Ismayil Aghakishiyev, Rafail Guliyev, Afil Huseynov, Chingiz Isayev, Elkhan Gurbanov, Gasim Karimov. AlizamanRahimliwasawardedtheShohrat (Glory) order.