Azernews.Az

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou has described Azerbaijan as important” country in the South Caucasus, Azertac reported.

Speaking at a reception organized by the Azerbaijani Embassy in Beijing to mark the 25th anniversary of the restoration of Azerbaijan`s state independence, he said Azerbaijan made great strides under the leadership of outstanding statesman Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev. “Azerbaijan has attracted world attention,” he said, adding that as a true friend, China is happy for Azerbaijan’s achievements.

Xuanyou hailed bilateral and multilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and China. He said presidents Ilham Aliyev and Xi Jinping defined strategic plans for the development of relations between the two countries when the Azerbaijani leader visited China last year.

He also said Azerbaijan was an important country on the Silk Road, expressing China`s readiness for all-round cooperation with Azerbaijan under “The Silk Road Economic Belt” initiative.

Azerbaijani ambassador Latif Qandilov highlighted the independence history of Azerbaijan.

Chairman of Azerbaijan Railways Javid Gurbanov stressed the importance of the restoration of independence to the people of Azerbaijan. He said Azerbaijan has become the regional leader and earned big influence on the international scale under President Ilham Aliyev.

The reception was attended by Chinese government officials, representatives of the diplomatic corps accredited in Beijing, Azerbaijanis residing in China, as well as Chinese local public.