(MENAFN- AzerNews) by vafa guliyeva
“I have always been proud and today I am proud that I am
Azerbaijani,” a world-renowned statesman, the founder and architect
of the independent Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev said in one of his
speeches which has become an aphorism among the people of
Azerbaijan.
The man who loved his country and people more than this life,
national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, lives in
the heart of everybody.
There are leaders who go down in history and remain there. And
there are leaders who create national history. Heydar Aliyev was a
leader who created the modern history of Azerbaijan. History
remembers him as a true legend of his time, a strong head of state
and a devoted and unique figure able to take on difficult
historical task of state building.
2023 marks centennial of national leader of Azerbaijan – Heydar
Aliyev. On this occasion under the Order of the President of the
country, Ilham Aliyev, this year was declared the“Year of Heydar
Aliyev” in the country.
National Leader Heydar Aliyev was an outstanding statesman and a
world scale politician.
35-year-old history of Azerbaijan covering the period from the
late 1960s to the beginning of the 21st century, is directly
connected with the name of Heydar Aliyev. His political flair and
priceless human qualities enabled the young state to stand on its
feet and successfully enter the twenty-first century as an
independent country. Under his leadership, he took responsibility
for his country, brought together like-minded people and together
with them, coped with severe and serious obstacles, created a
strong and independent state – modern Azerbaijan.
Under his leadership, Azerbaijan achieved a great success in
economy and became the forefront on an all-Union scale. Over these
years, the industrial potential of Azerbaijan has more than
doubled.
When the large contingent of troops forcefully entered Baku and
massacred lots of people on 20 January, 1990, Heydar Aliyev was
first who demanded punishment for the organizers and executors of
the crime committed against the Azerbaijani people.
As a result of an extreme governmental crisis in May-June, 1993,
Azerbaijan was on the edge of civil war and loss of independence.
The people of Azerbaijan demanded to bring Heydar Aliyev to power
in the country, due to which he was elected as Chairman of the
Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, and on October 3, 1993, became the
President of the independent Azerbaijan and was re-elected to the
post in 1998.
He came to power precisely at the moment when it was most
needed, if not be Heydar Aliyev, there would not be a modern
Azerbaijan. Not a single person neither in the country nor abroad
would deny this truth. As one of the most respected and world scale
politicians, the role and importance of the national leader of the
Azerbaijani people is so large that his life, philosophy of
administration, level of competence and influence for a very long
time will be explored by biographers and historians. Heydar
Aliyev's experience has played a unique role in the life of modern
Azerbaijan and over the years, it has become even more relevant and
meaningful.
With Heydar Aliyev's return to the leadership of Azerbaijan in
1993, a deep-rooted transformation started in political, social,
economic, scientific and cultural life of the country, as well as
in foreign affairs of Azerbaijan and development of an independent
state-building in accordance with international norms and
principles.
Heydar Aliyev was a pragmatic politician. His political and
managing principles were far from the romanticism and dreaminess.
The decisions he took might seem unusual at first sight, but in the
end, considering all the reality and correctness, are the most
optimal and balanced.
With the return of national leader Haydar Aliyev to the
leadership of Azerbaijan, a turning point occurred in the
socio-political, socio-economic, scientific and cultural life of
the country, as well as in international relations. As a result of
the urgent measures taken by the national leader, important steps
were taken to form the National Army, establish a regular armed
force capable of protecting the national interests of Azerbaijan,
and defend the lands. The decisive measures taken by Haydar Aliyev
to prevent the economic decline, civil war, Armenia's policy of
aggression against Azerbaijan, restore the traditions of statehood
and stability in the first years of independence soon began to be
felt in the lives of every citizen.
Since 1993, as a result of the visionary policies and hard work
of Heydar Aliyev, the country started to achieve accomplishments in
its economic and social development and have obtained great results
in terms of integration into the world economy. The biggest
achievement at that end was the creation of a new model of economic
reforms and development – the model of Azerbaijan.
In 1994, declaration of the ceasefire between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, signing of the“Contract of the century”, adoption of
the Constitution in 1995, restoration of the ancient Silk Road
connecting East and West and implementation of other important
works were achieved. As a result of the thoughtful and wise policy
of the great leader, the Azerbaijani economy developed in a short
time.
As the architect of the new energy strategy of Azerbaijan,
national leader Heydar Aliyev was the author of very crucial
political decisions in the 1990's that had great importance in
shaping energy policy of the country and simultaneously
demonstrated the readiness of the Republic to contribute to the
energy security of Europe. Accordingly, the "contract of the
century" was signed on September 20, 1994, which went down in
history as one of the greatest and most significant events of the
20th century. The most important prerequisites for this event were
the importance of oil and gas resources of the Caspian basin,
including Azerbaijan's water area which was rich in hydrocarbon
resources. Heydar Aliyev managed to diplomatically eliminate
discrepancies around the signing of the contract.
Over the 10 years of his presidency, Heydar Aliyev has
undertaken radical reforms in Azerbaijan and transformed the ruins
of the almost devastated country into a viable state. Heydar
Aliyev's multifaceted policy became the state strategy that brought
about prosperity and stability in the country. He came to power
applying a pragmatic and balanced foreign policy, which helped to
build constructive relationships with China, USA, EU and wise
partnerships with the closest neighbors – Turkiye, Russia and
Iran.
The Republic of Azerbaijan attained a status of a credible,
democratic, legal and secular state in the world in a short period
of time. Under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, the foreign policy
of Azerbaijan, as well as its relations with leading states of the
world and international organizations has started to develop the
course based on national interests and far-sighted political
perspective.
The name of Heydar Aliyev will always live in the hearts of
people and future generations. The chronicle of the life of this
excellent man is to be read, studied and promoted, because the life
of Heydar Aliyev is the history of Azerbaijan that we are
living.
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