Azerbaijan’s President congratulates Mikheil Kavelashvili on presidential election

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev extended congratulations to Mikheil Kavelashvili on his election as President of Georgia in an official letter.

“I wholeheartedly congratulate you on your election as President of Georgia.

Azerbaijani-Georgian relations are shaped by the will of our peoples, who have historically lived in friendship and good neighborliness, always supporting one another. We are pleased that our bilateral ties, built on a solid foundation of mutual respect and trust, continue to thrive and develop successfully today.

I believe that our joint efforts will further strengthen and expand our interstate relations and strategic partnership for the benefit of our countries and peoples, as well as to ensure the stability, security, and economic potential of our region,” Aliyev wrote to Kavelashvili.

Mikheil Kavelashvili’s election, carried out by Georgia’s ruling Georgian Dream party, has been met with criticism both domestically and internationally. The process, in which only one party and candidate participated, has been deemed illegitimate by opposition groups and a significant portion of the Georgian public. Western nations, with the exception of Hungary, have also refrained from recognizing the parliamentary elections that preceded Kavelashvili’s selection.

The inauguration of Kavelashvili is scheduled for December 29, with plans overseen by the ruling party.