Beijing, October 19th—Song Tao, Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, met here today with Ali Ahmadov, Deputy Prime Minister of Azerbaijan, Deputy Chairman and Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party (NAP).

Song expressed that although China and Azerbaijan are far away from each other geographically, the ancient Silk Road has closely linked the two peoples and China-Azerbaijan friendship has deeply rooted in the two peoples. President Xi Jinping held several successful meetings with President Ilham Aliyev, charting the course and formulating a blueprint for the development of China-Azerbaijan relations. As a ruling party like the NAP, the CPC is willing to work with the NAP to well implement the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, consolidate the traditional friendship between the two countries, further give full play to the characteristics of the two Parties featuring profound friendship, similar concepts and close communication, and strengthen the political guiding role on the relations between the two countries, in a bid to push China-Azerbaijan practical cooperation under the framework of the Belt and Road Initiative for constant and new achievements and bring more benefits to the two peoples.

Ahmadov noted that the friendly cooperative relations between Azerbaijan and China go beyond the far geographical distance and have always run at a high level, bringing tangible benefits to the two peoples. Speaking highly of the great achievements made by China under the leadership of the CPC with General Secretary Xi Jinping at the core, the NAP stands ready to further deepen the friendly exchanges between the ruling parties of the two countries, enhance high-level exchanges and political mutual trust, and promote the cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative and the alignment of development strategies of the two countries, so as to jointly push the development of Azerbaijan-China relations to a historic new level.

Qian Hongshan, Vice-minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee, and the NAP cadre study group headed by Siyavush Novruzov, NAP Deputy Executive Secretary, attended the meeting.

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