Ilham Aliyev attended the opening of the Centre for the professional rehabilitation of young people with limited health capabilities in the Yeni Ramana settlement in Baku

The Centre for the professional rehabilitation of young people with limited health capabilities has opened in the Yeni Ramana settlement in Baku.

President Ilham Aliyev and his wife Mehriban Aliyeva attended the opening ceremony.

The improvement of the well-being of the population is one of the important areas of public policy in Azerbaijan. Thus, the social direction of the economic policy and the attention being paid by President Ilham Aliyev to the strengthening of social protection of citizens of the country are evidence of the importance being attached to the human factor. Within this framework, legislation relating to persons with disabilities has significantly improved and about 10 new legal acts have been adopted in recent years. On the basis of relevant decrees and orders signed by the head of our state, the pensions and benefits paid to disabled persons have been raised on an annual basis. The government attracts people with disabilities to numerous social programs, including those of rehabilitation, free recreation, provision of technical recovery facilities and transport vehicles.

In accordance with the policy of strengthening state care about persons with disabilities, the Cabinet of Ministers has provided funding for the implementation of state programs related to the social protection of the disabled. Recent years have seen important progress being made in strengthening the social protection of hundreds of thousands of persons with disabilities and their improved financial security. Over this period, the solution of problems of persons who have lost their health in the Karabakh war and the families of martyrs has always been in the spotlight. In order to provide housing to the people of this category on the basis of the instructions and orders of President Ilham Aliyev, new multifamily residential buildings and individual houses have been built in the capital and regions in the last few years.

New rehabilitation centers have been built as part of the state care about people with disabilities.

The conditions created at the Centre for the professional rehabilitation of young people with limited health capabilities in the Yeni Ramana settlement in the Sabunchu district of the capital also suggest that people with disabilities are surrounded by attention and care of the state.

The head of state and his wife toured the Center.

The Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population, Salim Muslumov, noted that this institution subordinated to the ministry was previously called the center of labor and recreation of young disabled people. It was founded on the basis of boarding school No 2 in 1990. The people with disabilities who had come here from different regions to acquire employable skills in different areas subsequently settled down here due to the occupation of their native districts by Armenia and having started families of their own.

It was noted that major repairs and reconstruction were started here in 2011. The main goal was to create appropriate conditions for effective training for persons with disabilities.

The Centre for the professional rehabilitation of young people with limited health capabilities consists of the main and multifunctional buildings. Young people with disabilities will undergo rehabilitation at the medical facility. It is fitted with the most sophisticated medical equipment. Another section of the Center has 53 rooms for the disabled persons coming from different regions. All these rooms have good conditions. The Center has rooms for computer training, knitting, carpet weaving, painting, music and arts.

The Center will provide training to a total of 200 young people as part of one course. Over the course of one year, the Center will provide training to more than 800 persons. Providing professional rehabilitation of young people with disabilities, the Center will create opportunities for their employment.

Actively involved in the implementation of social programs in Azerbaijan is the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. The Foundation has initiated high-level reconstruction and operation of boarding schools for disabled children No 3 in Shagan settlement and No 7 in Saray settlement.

The sports compound of the Center has a fitness area, an area of board games and a conference room.

After reviewing the Centre, the President of Azerbaijan and his wife met with people with disabilities.

President Ilham Aliyev congratulated the young people with disabilities on the opening of the Center and said:

- I congratulate you on the reconstruction of this remarkable center. I have familiarized myself with it – it has all the facilities.

Both rehabilitation and professional training will be organized at a high level here. Now Baku has a wonderful professional rehabilitation center for young people with disabilities. I am sure that our young people will effectively use these opportunities. There will be courses on rehabilitation here. In addition, there are excellent opportunities for mastering different professions and good conditions for living and working here.

As a matter of fact, the establishment of such centers in Azerbaijan is evidence of a strong social policy. I have repeatedly said that Azerbaijan is a welfare state. Although we have been living in a market economy for 22 years, the social policy should always be in the spotlight. In general, I believe that the experience Azerbaijan has gained in this area may be of interest to other countries, as we have completed the transition period. We lived under the Soviet system. After that we moved on a market economy. Nevertheless, we have preserved and strengthened all important social aspects.

Therefore, the implementation of a strong social policy along with radical economic reforms defines our present-day realities. Of course, attention to this area will further increase as our financial capabilities improve and the economy grows. Strong economies certainly resolve social issues successfully. Wages and pensions are raised and social facilities built. A retirement home was opened in Baku a few months ago. There are excellent conditions there as well. And this center is designed for young people. We, of course, will continue to take important steps to address social issues.

I am sure that all our plans related to this area will be materialized. Social sphere is important for any country. Social services affect every person, they affect the level of people’s lives.

On the one hand, we should conduct a proper public policy and, on the other, our society should be close to the government in this area.

I think there is a positive attitude towards people with disabilities in Azerbaijan. This is a feature of our society. This is not the case everywhere. The state policy is pursued in the same direction. We need to make every effort to provide employment to the young people studying various professions here. We should also be interested in the further destiny of the people who will be trained here. Issues of employment of people with disabilities in state and private institutions are regulated by legislation. But it is not always observed in life. Therefore, I think there should be rigorous control here. Besides, we need to learn from the experiences of developed countries in this field. This experience is positive. We should adopt this experience in Azerbaijan, so that people with disabilities, especially young people, could feel good in society, were not isolated and became active members of society.

Young people are the most active members of our society today. All young people should feel confident and contribute to the development of our country. Our youth is patriotic, attached to the motherland and very keen on education. Today, I believe everyone can understand that if there is no in-depth knowledge, it will be impossible to earn a rightful place in society.

The government will continue to pursue its policies in this area. The reforms implemented by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population will soon yield positive results. Honesty, transparency and fairness will become the main principles in every area. I am sure that every citizen, especially citizens with disabilities, will feel that.

Our activities relating to the social sphere are very versatile. The implementation of social programs, the creation of the social infrastructure, the construction of schools and hospitals, and improved lives of the internally displaced persons – all matters relate to the social sphere. We strive to achieve maximum results in this area as much as we can. In particular, we as a state must constantly support those who live in a very difficult situation.

As you know, we are implementing state programs to improve the living standards and employment opportunities for the displaced persons. Every year, 20,000 IDPs move to new apartments. We could say that a middle-sized city is established in Azerbaijan every year. We are getting rid of tent-camps and providing new apartments. Persons with disabilities, disabled veterans of the Karabakh war and families of martyrs are provided with apartments and cars by the state every year. Another order was signed yesterday, as 5 million manats were allocated from the Contingency Fund of the President to address the problems of those in line. A certain amount will also be allocated next year. Thus, the need for automobiles will be fully met.

All of this, I repeat, is part of our social agenda. The social sphere reflects the power of each country and each state. Of course, the Azerbaijani economy is developing rapidly today. Therefore, the resources allocated to the social sector are increasing. But even when our material resources were limited, constant attention was paid to the social sphere.

Some developed countries are cutting social programs, axing wages and jobs. Meanwhile, wages, pensions and social benefits in Azerbaijan have been raised at any period, even during the crisis years. Not a single social program has been delayed. We should note that our economic development will continue to be successful and rapid. Of course, in the next few years we will have even more opportunities to address social issues.

The establishment of such beautiful centers demonstrates the power of our state. We live in an independent and strong state. We are proud to live in this state. We have to make sure that our state is constantly in development and on the rise. Once again I congratulate you on this wonderful event.

Meeting participants: Thank you. Thank you very much.

President Ilham Aliyev: This is why I said that both public and private entities hiring disabled people to work should not discriminate against them. I also want to say that developed countries have great practices. There are certain benefits and advantages there, and if a company hires people with disabilities, it enjoys these benefits. Therefore, we should also pay attention to this area.

The opening of this center is a very significant event. You have been here before, so now you can see the difference. But the young people trained here should be provided with a job in the future. Therefore, the future of young people who will be trained here should also be in the spotlight. In other words, we must follow what kind of jobs they are provided with in the future and how they live, so that they are not left out of society. Society and the state must surround them with care so that they could feel comfortable and were not isolated from society.

Citizens of Azerbaijan are at the center of our policy, and I have repeatedly stated this. These are not just words – it is a reality and a policy. Azerbaijan is moving forward confidently. There is no confrontation or contradiction in society. There is solidarity and unity in our society. We rally around one idea: to further develop our country, so that people could live even better, the power of Azerbaijan could grow further, its standing in the world could strengthen, social issues could be addressed, the economy could develop and we could forever live in an independent state.

To achieve this, there should be a strong state. Now I see that you are not indifferent to political processes. You look around and see the world around us. There are countries that can’t live independently. Or those that live in great difficulty. Without help from abroad these countries can’t exist. Of course, the future and independent fate of these countries can be called into question because independence is not only about state attributes.

We have sought and will continue to seek to further strengthen Azerbaijan. No-one can influence us today. Only the will of the Azerbaijani people can determine the development of Azerbaijan. So we have to get even stronger. There are all the possibilities to do that. I want to say again that our society is dominated by solidarity and unity. We are implementing social programs and conducting economic reforms. We have recently launched a large gas project. This will ensure the economic development of Azerbaijan for at least 100 years to come.

We have a strong international position. The number of countries interested in cooperating and making friends with us is growing steadily. That is, we protect our independent life and our citizens. The fate of every citizen, all of their worries and problems should be the focus of the state.

These factors distinguish a strong state from the rest. We will never let our citizens down regardless of where they live - in Azerbaijan or elsewhere. As far as possible, we will try to resolve all of their problems.

Of course, the establishment of such centers in the country, as you know, is a truly great event. We must create such conditions for those who live in a very difficult situation. I said that boarding schools, centers built for street children and retirement homes must be at the highest level, at the level of this center, because our citizens deserve it. They should be able to live and work in such conditions. I can say that all of the social facilities under construction in the country today are on a fine level. These are Azerbaijani standards now.

Stressing that the social reforms ongoing in the country would be continued and noting that the principle of justice was one of the important criteria in society, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Sometimes justice is violated. And when justice is violated, people’s faith is undermined. The biggest problem is the violation of justice in international relations, in relations between two countries and in every sphere. So there should be everywhere.

I am aware know and perhaps you and the public know that there were problems associated with targeted social assistance. They will be eliminated. There have been injustices. Those who needed help could not get it, while those who did not need it managed to receive it on certain conditions. I have repeatedly asked citizens to inform us about the negative phenomena and violations of justice.

I am confident that the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population will soon eliminate all negative phenomena. Work has already begun. A thorough purging campaign is under way and officials dealing with bribery and corruption are being dismissed from work. I welcome that. It must be the case everywhere. There must and will be fair and equal treatment for all.

As you know, justice is also violated in international relations, international matters. The problem of Karabakh is not being resolved because there is no justice.

Ganira Abilova: Inshallah, we will rejoice at that.

President Ilham Aliyev: Of course there is no justice. International law, justice and historical justice are violated. But some pro-Armenian forces wish to ignore that. We will restore justice – both domestically and internationally. So I want all government officials to listen to me once again. I have repeatedly talked about this.

The Azerbaijani government will continue to wage a very serious, uncompromising and relentless fight against corruption and bribery. The principles of justice must prevail everywhere. Justice must always prevail in life, family and society. The great leader talked about this back in the 1970s.

Ganira Abilova: May Allah rest his soul. I have met with him twice.

President Ilham Aliyev: This is a saying by genius Nizami - "Let justice prevail". It is quite relevant today. It is relevant for each country, not only for Azerbaijan. But we in Azerbaijan have to form a model society. Therefore, there should be no place for negative phenomena here.

Handicapped person of category one Shukufa Yunusova, expressing her gratitude to the President, said:

- On behalf of all the persons with disabilities we would like to express to you and Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva our great thanks. May Allah bless you! May Allah help you! May Allah grant you good health!