World honors Aliyev on his 80th birthday

The 80th birthday of President Aliyev was widely celebrated in Azerbaijan despite his absence. Concerts, exibitions and TV programmes were presented up and down the country.
The Predident was inundated with congratulations from world leaders, as well as being honoured by the French and Russian governments.
A major celebration will be held at the Gulustan Palace, Baku shortly with the heads of several countries to participate in the event.
Relevant preparatory works are underway. Repairs have been already completed at the palace, and over 100 trees had been brought from Iran to decorate the hall.
The date of the jubilee celebrations will be determined soon.
Honours
Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned Heydar Aliyev to congratulate him on his birthday.
During the conversation, President Putin also congratulated his Azerbaijani counterpart on being awarded Russia's higher order of the Saint Andrey Pervozvanni.
According to the Russian president's press service, Aliyev was awarded for his personal significant contributions to strengthening friendship and cooperation between the Russian and Azerbaijani peoples.
French President Jacques Chirac will present his country's highest state award, the Legion d'Honneur, to Heydar Aliyev on his next trip to Paris, head of staff of the Presidential Administration Ramiz Mehdiyev told media on Saturday.
Furthermore, the official said that presidents of other nations due for the 80th birthday of Heydar Aliyev would travel to Azerbaijan at a more suitable time.
Ukrainians celebrate
Jubilee celebrations on the occasion of the 80th birthday of President Heydar Aliyev were arranged at state level in the Ukraine, on May 11 to 13.
An Azerbaijani parliamentary delegation, involving Ali Abbasov, Vagif Abdullayev and Valeriy Timoshenko and headed by Vice Speaker Ziyafat Asgarov, left Baku for Kiev at Saturday night to attend the celebrations. In his interview with AssA-Irada, MP Ali Abbasov, also a member of the Azerbaijani delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), said that the newly published Ukrainian edition of a book on MP Ilham Aliyev by Vaqif Abdullayev will also be presented during the event.
US praise
US President George W. Bush sent his Azerbaijani counterpart a congratulatory letter on his birthday. The American leader praised Aliyev’s contribution to the strengthening of security and energy co-opertation between the two countries. He thanked Aliyev officially for the support during the recent war on Iraq, and stressed he would do all in his power to support laying of the Baku-Ceyhan oil export pipeline.
The president’s letter says that the United States will go on supporting Azerbaijan on the road of democratic development and market economy. Washington has great hopes of the upcoming presidential elections in October, for they will give Baku an opportunity to display Azerbaijan’s extensive integration into the international democratic community.
Arab blessings
Saudi King Fahd congratulated the President wishing him health and prosperity for the Azerbaijani nation.
Head of the People's Republic of Libya, Col. Muammar Kaddafi wished Azerbaijani President Heydar Aliyev rapid recovery from the recent health troubles. The Libyan leader also wished the Azerbaijani people prosperous future and development.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak wished in all sincerity President Aliyev happiness and health from the Most High.
More congratulations
Further messages of congratulation were received from Kazakh President Nursultan Nazabayev, German Federal President Yohannes Rau and Chancellor Gerhardt Shroeder, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Lithuanian President Rolandas Paskas, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko, Georgian President Eduard Shevardnadze, as well as speakers of foreign parliaments, heads of international organisations.
Photo exhibition
A photo exhibition opened at the Sport Exhibition Complex on Saturday marking the President’s birthday. Initiated and organised by the ruling New Azerbaijan Party, the exhibition displays photos featuring Heydar Aliyev's life as well as his activity over the past 34 years.
The displays feature inaugurating ceremonies of industrial, medical, cultural, and educational facilities in different regions, as well as meetings with people and his successful activity after he came to power for the second time.