In my youth, I showed a special interest in Azerbaijan. I can say that President Heydar Aliyev is an outstanding statesman of our time, and I am familiar with his life and work. The work carried out in the field of rule of law, democratic and secular state-building and successful reforms in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Heydar Aliyev is welcomed by the Japanese government and the public.

Today, the independent Republic of Azerbaijan takes its rightful place in the world community. The visit of President Heydar Aliyev to Japan is a historic event. Many heads of state have visited Japan, but such a deep public and media interest in this official visit of Heydar Aliyev is one of the rare cases in Japan. Mr. President, I have a list of your meetings. I am amazed at your hard work.