Serbian President: I have great respect and admiration for President Ilham Aliyev

“I have great respect and admiration for President Ilham Aliyev," Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić said during the Leaders’ Session within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku.

“First of all, I would like to thank all of you, especially the people of Azerbaijan, for the great hospitality, the magnificent welcome once again shown here in Baku, and for organizing this unforgettable event. I would also like to express special thanks to President Ilham Aliyev, my dear friend. Because I would like to speak about this a little differently. Every time I come to Baku, to Azerbaijan — and this happens at least once a year — I witness major changes here. I see the great progress achieved together by the people of Azerbaijan and President Ilham Aliyev for the prosperity of your country and your people. It is easier for people coming from abroad to see this. Because you yourselves adapt more quickly to changes in your daily lives and sometimes no longer feel them as strongly as before. But when we look from the outside, we clearly see how great a path of development Azerbaijan has gone through in recent years. There is a very simple explanation for this. It is connected with your hard work and dedication. But beyond this, Ilham Aliyev has one quality in which he is stronger than many of us, perhaps all of us. This is his great love and passion for his people and his country. That is why he achieves such tremendous development. That is why today Baku has become one of the most beautiful cities in the world. I have great respect and admiration for him. I feel the same toward you as well, dear friends. I also try to do similar work in my own country — Serbia — although not completely, but to a certain extent,” the Serbian President noted.