Ilham Aliyev examined the work under way in the Bilajari and Sulutapa settlements of Binagadi district

During a meeting at the Mayor’s Office of Baku dedicated to socioeconomic development of suburban settlements of the capital, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan had issued instructions concerning landscaping and improvement work in villages and settlements. In order to examine progress in the implementation of the said instructions on the ground, the head of state has visited different settlements.

On 31 March, during familiarization of President Ilham Aliyev with the work under way in the Bulbula settlement of Surakhani district, local residents requested the head of state that a new road linking the settlement with the Heydar Aliyev Avenue be built. President Ilham Aliyev issued an instruction to build the road. The President’s instruction was promptly fulfilled.

An additional road linking Bulbula with the Heydar Aliyev Avenue was commissioned on 11 April.

The ceremony was attended by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

Baku Mayor Hajibala Abutalibov informed President Ilham Aliyev of the work done. It was indicated that asphalt coating had been carried out on an area of 4,950 square meters and special granite pavements, 110 meters in length, installed for the convenience of pedestrians. Green belts covering 2,000 square meters have been established on both sides of the road which has access and turnoff lanes. Over 200 various trees and flower shrubs have been planted. A modern lighting system has also been installed. In general, new asphalt coating has been laid on sections of local roads in different villages and settlements of Surakhani district, covering 36,500 square meters. Preparations are under way for asphalt coating of road sections covering 17,000 square meters. Besides, it is planned that new asphalt coating will be laid on a total of 35,000 square meters of roads.

After examining the measures being taken, President Ilham Aliyev met with local residents.

Х Х Х

Greeting local residents, President Ilham Aliyev said: We are meeting for the second time in one week. I am very glad that the issue you spoke about has been resolved in a short period of time.

RESIDENT: If we didn’t see this with our own eyes, we wouldn’t believe it. When we were going to work the day following our meeting, work had already begun here. All this is very gratifying for us. In general, you gratify our people every day. We are grateful to you for all this. We know that this road with nice lighting poles and comfortable pavements will stretch to the Atashgah temple. We also hear that the commissioning of this road will be followed by major overhaul of local roads.

We are very delighted with your resolution on the construction of a school and the funds allocated. In fact, the joy you have given us is boundless. You gratify us with something new every day. Some time ago you wrote off our gas arrears. More recently you also wrote off the population’s arrears for water and sewage, which made us all extremely happy. We can’s find the right words to thank you.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much, thank you.

RESIDENT: May Allah bestow health upon you. May your voice always be heard from high rostrums. You have done us so much good that our joy is unlimited. Dear Mr. President, I am 80 years old. I couldn’t go to the clinic when I had to. You have given us this road. Now the bus will take us right to the clinic. I wish you many years of life, good health and success in your difficult and glorious work.

President Ilham Aliyev: I am very pleased that extensive work has been unfolding in the settlements around Baku in a short period of time. I last came to meet with you specifically to hear from you and ask what must be done, because I had issued a general instruction to resolve problems of water supply, sewage, gasification, power lines, roads. But when you said that this road is the most important issue, I came here in person, examined the situation and issued an instruction. And this wonderful road was built in one week. Now the entry and exit to and from the settlement are very comfortable. This area will become even nicer now.

RESIDENT: It is very gratifying to see these roads.

President Ilham Aliyev: Specific programs are being prepared to tackle all the problems of the settlement, initial funds have been allocated. I am sure that a general program will be approved this month, and large-scale creative work will begin. The construction of this road is an indicator in itself. We have done it in a short time at your request and as a result of these instructions. We will resolve all other issues too.

We will also attend the opening of a school together, meet to resolve other problems. This is a major and large-scale program that will cover all settlements. This map shows the existing and future roads. We will also embark on the implementation of water supply and sewage projects now. Of course, we must ensure that the asphalt is laid after the installation of water and sewage lines.

As for the write off of arrears for water, as you know we are pursuing a strong social policy in Azerbaijan. We need to do our best for people to live even better. We are aware that some people still have limited opportunities. These arrears have accumulated over many years. There were certain difficulties in calculating them. Therefore, to resolve this issue completely, we have made the decision to write off the arrears, but provided that water will be paid for from now on.

Congratulations again. This is only a beginning of the work. We will meet many more times on such remarkable occasions.

Х Х Х

Local residents thanked the head of state.

Х Х Х

In conclusion, local residents had their picture taken with President Ilham Aliyev.

Х Х Х

After commissioning a new road in the Bulbula settlement, President Ilham Aliyev went to the Bilajari settlement of Binagadi district. Baku Mayor Hajibala Abutalibov used a plan of the settlement to inform the head of state of the roads in the settlement needing asphalting.

It was indicated that local roads covering 25.3 kilometers in length and an area of 159,300 square meters were to undergo major overhaul in Bilajari, a settlement with a population of 60,000 people. Thus far, new asphalt has been laid on local roads covering 10,500 square meters. Preparations are also under way for asphalting road sections covering 6,000 square meters.

After examining the work being done, the head of state met with local residents.

Greeting the settlement residents, President Ilham Aliyev said:

Hello, good morning.

Work is under way in all the settlements. A State Program on the socioeconomic development of Baku settlements will be adopted in the near future. The program also envisages solution of special issues that concern every settlement. This is why I am visiting all the settlements, meeting with people in order to hear from you what your concerns are, what else we must do, what issues are of priority nature, so that we could do this work properly.

We have now tackled road construction in settlements. This process has also started in the Bilajari settlement. There are mostly earth roads here. In winter months it is not so easy to drive on them. Road construction is a top priority issue. All other issues must be resolved as well. Bilajari is a large settlement. Its population is also quite large. This is a program requiring major financial resources. But we must do that.

We can say that creative work is currently under way in all our districts. Schools and hospitals are built in every district, gas and water lines are built. At the same time, this work must be carried out in Baku settlements at a high level. There are more than 40 settlements in Baku. They are home to over 800,000 people. The Azerbaijani state will do everything it can to improve the living standards of these people. We will resolve the issues of establishing a social infrastructure, roads, gas and power lines, sewage.

Most of these issues in Bilajari have been resolved. Gasification constitutes 100 per cent, and there are no problems with electricity in the country at all. There are sewage lines, water supply is ensured. Therefore, I would like to hear from you what issues should be resolved in the first place. What do we need to do to ensure that all infrastructure and social issues in this settlement are resolved at a high level? I have come here to hear what else we must do.

RESIDENT: Dear Mr. President. As a native of Bilajari, I would like to sincerely salute you on behalf of the 60,000 local residents. Welcome! The Bilajari settlement is something of a gate to Azerbaijan. There is a major railway terminal here.

An international bus terminal has been built in Bilajari recently. This is a unique structure which, thanks to the level of comfort, dimensions and services provided, perhaps doesn’t have analogues in the world. We are grateful to you for that.

I would like to tell you that a tunnel for wagons and vans was built under the railway in Bilajari for the first time in 1881. It was quite uncomfortable for people. Two tunnels were built on your instruction in a short period of time, ensuring the comfort of the Bilajari residents. There are no problems with gas, water and electricity supply in Bilajari at all.

Mr. President. I work at the chair of international relations of Baku State University. I must say that your domestic and foreign policies are in harmony and complement each other. Although we are a relatively small country, we have our own place among the world’s leading nations. We are proud of you. The lessons learned from great leader Heydar Aliyev and the experience accumulated in many years are enabling you to conduct successful domestic and foreign policies.

I want to express my thoughts on another issue. Certain people think they can carry out changes in the country by misleading two or three youngsters. I want to say that this is wrong. My friends have told me about an article called “Wake up, teachers!” published in newspaper Azadlig yesterday. But this poor man must understand that we woke up long ago. In 1993, when there was chaos in Azerbaijan, we realized that we need someone with extensive public experience. We tried to bring great leader Heydar Aliyev to power in Azerbaijan.

Our dear President, we are very pleased with you. We wish you many long years, good health and fruitful activities in the name of development and progress of Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much. Thank you. Things are going very well indeed in our country. Creative and landscaping work is under way in all our districts, everywhere. Our economy is growing, industrial enterprises are being set up, unemployment is being eliminated. I simply want these processes to run even faster and cover every village and settlement. This is my goal, this is my task. This is why there is no district in Azerbaijan that I have not visited. I have been to some a number of times. I also visit villages often. The goal of this visit is to hear from you what else needs to be done. Of course, I have information and know of the problems existing in the country. We simply need to try to achieve good results in a short period of time. To do that, of course, we need to correctly analyze and study a problem and apply the right solutions.

Today, Azerbaijan’s industrial and economic potential is at a level enabling us to resolve any issue. As someone working in the education sector you will know that over 2,000 schools were built in the country in recent years. There are around 5,000 schools in Azerbaijan. In other words, there is a total of 5,000 schools and 2,000 of them were built in recent years. This year, we will renovate all the schools that are in emergency condition. There are still quite many such schools – about 200-300 schools are in emergency condition.

Issues of improving the public health system, providing quality medical services, acquiring state-of-the-art equipment, these roads, gasification. At present, we are trying to ensure that gas is supplied to every household. Overall, this issue has been resolved in Baku. The electricity problem has been resolved. We are not only providing ourselves with electricity, but are even exporting it now. There was a time when we lived in the dark. There was a time when electricity supply in Baku was intermittent. It is already history now. This is evidence of the country’s power.

A new stage at the present time is the adoption of a program on the socioeconomic development of Baku settlements. Suburban settlements of Baku are entering a new stage. Baku settlements have a long history and traditions, and these villages and settlements must develop. There must be conditions for people to live and work here. Issues of job creation will be resolved. Relevant instructions have been issued. Those living in settlements will receive loans, new enterprises are to be established. There are settlements that are already part of the city. And there are settlements leading a predominantly rural lifestyle. Therefore, we need to approach the development of every settlement in an individual manner. But there is an issue that is common for all the settlements – the roads. At present, most roads in our settlements are earth roads, and this is unacceptable.

There should be no earth roads in and around Baku. Therefore, we have started our work with this, other issues will be resolved after that. I have no doubt about that and want to hear from you what else needs to be done before the program is adopted. What issues should we resolve promptly?

RESIDENT: Mr. President, welcome to our settlement. We are very glad to see you here. Your instructions and orders are being executed very thoroughly in our settlement, roads are being asphalted and lit, streets are being landscaped. Problems with water, gas and electricity have been resolved in recent years. Mr. President, population arrears for gas have been written off on your instruction. This year arrears for water have also been written off. This is a major benefit for the low-income families. Besides, you have issued an instruction to register the unregistered houses. Thank you very much for this, we are very grateful to you. To be more exact, I am passing on the appreciation to you on behalf of low-income families. I thank you on their behalf.

As an education worker, I will remember your words that our children must go to good schools. These are your words. There are such good schools in our Bilajari too. All our schools have been computerized, connected to the Internet, at school pupils can use a program they can’t use at home, they receive training aids. We have an autonomous boiler-house. Schools are very warm. Thanks to your care, all this is contributing a lot to improving the quality of education.

I want to thank you again on behalf of local residents. We are sure that you will always take care of us. You are our eternal President. We can’t imagine Azerbaijan without you and you without Azerbaijan.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you, thank you very much. I will continue doing everything possible to ensure that everything is done properly in our country. Most importantly, along with all the economic and industrial projects, our social policy is getting stronger. This is the goal behind my decision to write off arrears for water.

I can say that this is an extremely rare occasion for the world. In fact, the amount is quite large, around 300 million manats. But we know there are citizens, low-income families who can’t pay their arrears. As you mentioned, earlier we wrote off arrears for gas, and since then it is possible to say that gas payments have been at a high level. Considering that gas tariffs in Azerbaijan are three times lower than in neighboring countries, I think this shouldn’t be a major problem.

Issues regarding water should be resolved in the same manner. A major water pipeline is being built to Baku now. It is gradually starting to operate. Other projects are being discussed as well. The program on water supply and sewage should be implemented in each settlement as a stand-alone project. There is no such problem in Bilajari today. But in most settlements this problem is very acute. Sewage and drinking water have always been our sore point. Not only in Baku but also in all the districts.

Overall, Azerbaijan has limited water resources. Our main sources are generated outside the country. We mostly use the Kura river water. We also use the Samur river, most of which is generated abroad. Therefore, one of the goals in building the Oguz-Gabala-Baku water line was to do this using domestic resources, domestic sources. Construction of new lines, i.e. local lines, is of special importance. We will resolve this problem, as we have done with electricity and gas. Problems with drinking water and sewage will be resolved in the coming years.

Roads, the social infrastructure, hospitals, out-patient clinics, schools, i.e. all the conditions for life, and jobs – this is our program. I am absolutely sure that we will implement shortly after adopting the program on the development of Baku settlements.

RESIDENT: On behalf of the Bilajari intelligentsia, on behalf of the public, we are expressing our gratitude to you for coming to our settlement and giving us this wonderful holiday. On behalf of the Bilajari residents, we would like to request that the Park of Railway Workers be expanded. This park has been here since Soviet times. I am passing on this request to you on behalf of all residents. If this park is landscaped and becomes beautiful, we won’t have to go too far for a walk with our grandchildren. 

President Ilham Aliyev: I will have a look now and fulfill your request.

RESIDENT: Thank you very much. I would also like to communicate to you the appreciation on behalf of pupils and teachers of the new school opened in Park Street. It is a wonderful and remarkable school. May Allah protect you!

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much.

Х Х Х

In conclusion, local residents had their picture taken with President Ilham Aliyev.

Х Х Х

After meeting with local residents, President Ilham Aliyev went to the Park of Railway Workers in the Bilajari settlement.

The park, covering a large area, used to be a favorite place of rest for local residents.

After examining the park, the head of state issued appropriate instructions on establishing a modern infrastructure required for local residents to have rest and on conducting major overhaul of the park.

Х Х Х

Then President Ilham Aliyev went to the Sulutapa settlement of Binagadi district. Major overhaul of local roads has been started in this settlement too.

Baku Mayor Hajibala Abutalibov informed the head of state that 5,600 square meters of local roads had been coated with asphalt in Sulutapa and that preparations had been completed for asphalting sections of roads covering 7,000 square meters.

It was indicated that issues relating to water and sewage would be resolved in the settlement and a modern lighting system installed in its streets.

After examining the ongoing work, the head of state met with local residents.

After warmly welcoming President Ilham Aliyev, local residents said:

Dear Mr. President, welcome to our settlement. We are very pleased, your visit is a real holiday for us.
Expressing his gratitude to local residents, President Ilham Aliyev said:

Thank you very much. I am also very pleased to meet with you. I have come here to find out what needs to be done. I am told that the main problems are the problems of roads. And they are being tackled now. As a matter of fact, there were no asphalt roads here before. There were earth roads. Asphalt is being laid now, and I can see from the map I am shown that this is only the first stage. Construction of local roads will go ahead rapidly, and all the roads indicated on the map will be asphalted before the end of the year.

RESIDENT: Dear Mr. President, the suggestions and instructions you issued at the 9 March meeting on landscaping Baku and suburban settlements have gone down very well with residents of the Sulutapa settlement. Therefore, we are very grateful to you.

Dear Mr. President, we will always cherish in our hearts the memory of the architect and founder of the modern Azerbaijani state, our great leader Heydar Aliyev. As a proverb goes, grass grows on its roots. Today, you are successfully continuing the invaluable work which Heydar Aliyev was doing in the name of Azerbaijan’s development. Therefore, we wish you good health and many years of life. May Allah protect you.

The care you and the President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, MP Mehriban Aliyeva, have been showing to the sphere of education is obvious today. There was only one school in our Sulutapa settlement. Two schools and a kindergarten have been built here in recent years. There is school No 217 here. I can tell you that this school used to work in three shifts and six days a week. In the previous academic year, following your resolution, a new school compound was built here for 840 pupils. Now the school operates in one shift and five days a week. Therefore, we wish you and Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva good health. We would like to thank you very much on behalf of all the teachers and pupils of the school.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much. I am very pleased that social programs are being implemented in Sulutapa. School construction is one of the most important issues.

School construction is under way throughout the country, there must be good schools in every settlement. Problems with electricity and gas supply have been resolved here, construction of roads has already begun, and these issues will also be resolved soon. Thus, good conditions will be created for the people of Sulutapa.

Our goal is to provide residents of every settlement with the opportunity to live well, to create a high-quality infrastructure, water supply, sewage, gasification, electricity, medical facilities, schools, roads, to resolve all these issues at a proper level.

We will soon adopt a program. Instructions have been issued at a meeting I chaired. Now I want to hear from you, local residents, what issues should be resolved in these settlements in the first place. A large program will be adopted this month. Afterwards, the work envisaged under the program will proceed even faster.

RESIDENT: Mr. President, all residents of Sulutapa are welcoming your visit. A lot has been done in Sulutapa lately. Zarifa Khanum said great words about the construction of schools. But there is a kindergarten problem here. There is only one kindergarten in such a large settlement. There is a truck depot which covers a large area here. There is also a customs checkpoint. But the roads are very narrow, therefore, it is difficult for 1,700 kids to reach school using them. It would be good to relocate these facilities, and establish a large recreation center here.
You have the unlimited support of the people. People’s joy after your instruction on registering the unregistered houses has been boundless. We wish you every success. You are doing enormous work to improve our lives.

President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. This is my duty. We must ensure that problems of our people are resolved. In particular, problems with registration have been awaiting solution for years. I am sure that as a result of the instructions I have issued, this issue will be resolved fairly as well. There must be justice. Therefore, a mechanism is being prepared now. How do we ensure complete transparency and avoid negative phenomena as regards registration? Therefore, a mechanism is being prepared now. I do hope that it will be submitted to me soon and the issue will be resolved. People have lived without registration for decades. But I have to say that some of these houses were built illegally.
RESIDENT: Yes, indeed. This is the case.

President Ilham Aliyev: Therefore, we must ensure that everything is done within legal frames, and the existing realities assume the power of the law. We must do that. This is why our policies are socially oriented. Of course, a law-governed state has been built in Azerbaijan, and the rule of law must be pivotal for us all. Economic reforms are under way. We are living in line with market economy principles. But when social issues are concerned, we mostly give preference to social justice. The recent writing off of arrears for water, in essence, runs counter to market economy principles.

RESIDENTS: Thank you very much.

President Ilham Aliyev: This is a debt. It must be cleared. But if we look at things in comparison, we certainly give preference to people’s comfort, to the solution of social problems. Namely, we need to take steps to stop low-income families getting into a dire situation. Then there are issues of registration. Most of the houses were built illegally. But they are there, people live in them.

RESIDENT: Mr. President! I also want to express my attitude to the truck depot issue raised by our teacher. I am a teacher myself, and have lived in Sulutapa for several years. Down the road from our school, in the direction of Khojasan, there is school No 103. It is very small and cramped. Parents have to bring their kids to school using this road. Because of the truck depot, there are huge traffic jams on the road and children are often late for their lessons. We would like to request that an additional building be built for school No 103, so that parents don’t have to bring their children to our school through there.

RESIDENT: Dear Mr. President! I am a resident of Khojasan. Thanks to your work, our village has changed out of recognition. May Allah bestow health upon you. Our road was in deplorable condition. But now the Khojasan road has been renovated at the level of modern requirements.

But I have got one request. School No 103 is named after my brother, war-victim Zakir. It would be good to have a post office near the school. There is no post office in Khojasan. It would also be good to have an ATM near the school, so that pensioners could get their money.

President Ilham Aliyev: Isn’t there an ATM?

RESIDENT: No, there isn’t in Khojasan.

President Ilham Aliyev: So how do you receive pensions?

RESIDENT: We travel to the city, to the settlement. To different places. A place has been allocated for a stadium in Khojasan. It is in appalling condition. I do hope that you will issue an instruction about that. We have strong confidence in you. The people of Absheron and the people of Khojasan love you and Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva very much.

I also want to note that the municipality is experiencing difficulties in taking out garbage, there are no trucks. The available ones are too old and have been in operation for over 30 years. Municipalities need help, of course if this is possible. Please. Thank you very much in advance.

President Ilham Aliyev: Write down all these issues and send them to me today. I will incorporate them into the resolution. These are all important issues and we must resolve them. The Khojasan road is indeed a road of international standards. There is a major substation there as well.

RESIDENT: You attended its opening.

President Ilham Aliyev: Yes, I did. Now we plan to establish a major educational center there. You are absolutely right. It will be a large center.

RESIDENT: Dear Mr. President! May Allah protect you! And may you protect the people of Azerbaijan!

Х Х Х

In conclusion, a picture was taken.