State Duma deputy: Awarding First Vice President Mehriban Aliyeva - tribute to her tremendous contribution to Russian-Azerbaijani relations

"Awarding the respected Mehriban Aliyeva with a highly symbolic award is an undoubted tribute to the tremendous contribution that the Vice President and First Lady of Azerbaijan made to strengthen fraternal relations between our countries, " Deputy of the State Duma of the Russian Federation, head of the inter-parliamentary Russia-Azerbaijan friendship group Dmitry Savelyev told Russian bureau of Report.

Speaking about the contribution of the first vice president of Azerbaijan to the development and strengthening of friendship between Russia and Azerbaijan, the deputy stressed that he does not know another more deserving person to receive the Order of Friendship than Mehriban Aliyeva:

"It’s enough to recall a huge number of cultural and charity events and projects initiated by Mehriban Aliyeva around the world as the head of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation.

"Many cultural and historical monuments have been preserved for humanity with her direct participation. In general, it is difficult to overestimate the attention of Mehriban Aliyeva to the popularization of Azerbaijani multiculturalism against the background of the European model of social development that has lost its relevance."

"Russia, like Azerbaijan, is a multinational country, therefore, the award presented to Mehriban Aliyeva emphasizes our common historical path based on mutual respect, deep interest in each other's cultures, expansion and strengthening of fraternal ties between our peoples. I would like therefore to take this opportunity to heartily congratulate Mehriban Arifovna with the award of the Order of Friendship and wish her a robust health and happiness, further success, implementation of the most ambitious plans for the prosperity of the fraternal peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan," Savelyev concluded.