After the opening of the Astara-Bala Shahagaj motor road, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev met with the public of Astara District.

Greeting representatives of the public of Astara District, President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Hello, good morning. I would like to congratulate you on the opening of the new road. This is a great road linking several villages, it is 19 km long. By positively responding to the request of Astara residents, we have allocated funds for the construction of this road from the Reserve Fund of the President, and it was built. Even though it is a rural road, it is beautiful and meets all international requirements. All our rural roads must be at this level now. A special program on the construction of rural roads is being prepared now. There is a great need for that both in the suburban settlements of Baku and in all our districts because rural roads are still not at the desired level.

I am very glad that one of the first such projects has been implemented in Astara. I think we need to bring all rural roads to order in the future. We must make them beautiful.

This is not my first visit to Astara. I have repeatedly come here in previous years, and a number of activities are envisaged here today. The reconstruction of a major gas compressor station has been completed in Astara. This is a very important project for the development of gas potential both of Astara and Azerbaijan as a whole. It will also lead to the creation of new jobs. The foundation of a hydro power plant will be laid. This is also one of the issues that we are resolving in Azerbaijan today. Mini-hydro power plants should be built wherever possible, so that we could provide ourselves with more electricity.

Other projects are being implemented, the House of Youth has been built, gasification is under way. I will receive information about that today. We must ensure that all the settlements are gasified. Work in this direction is ongoing.

Issues of water-supply and sewage are to be resolved. These are also very important issues. There are specific programs for each district. All these programs are part of the State Program on the socioeconomic development of districts. This program has been realized in Azerbaijan for several years now, and quite successfully. The work under way in the country and issues of the development of districts, creation of a social infrastructure in districts are covered by the program. Production in Astara has increased in recent years, new enterprises have been commissioned, there is school construction, several schools are being built. So things are good. We must work even faster because Azerbaijan’s successful and rapid development must manifest itself in every district and every village. This is our goal.

A new power station was built in Astara five years ago. I remember attending its opening. It supplies not only Astara but also the whole region with electricity. Five years have passed since the station was commissioned. The first such station was built in Astara then. Then it was followed by other districts. We have not been facing a shortage of electricity for a long time now. In fact, we are exporting it. We must see this positive experience in other spheres as well.

Let me repeat: gas supplies, drinking water, sewage, irrigation network, social infrastructure, hospitals, schools, roads and, of course, jobs. This problem is being gradually resolved in Azerbaijan, but there are still jobless people. Their employment is one of the more important issues on our agenda. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created in recent years. But there are still unemployed people. Azerbaijani population is growing. This is a very positive phenomenon. About 150,000-160,000 babies are born every year. We must ensure that the creation of jobs corresponds to this growth. The opening of every vacancy requires major funds, investment, loans must be provided. We are and will be doing that. At the same time, social issues will be resolved in the near future, the issues of raising wages and pensions. I can say that all these issues are dealt with on a systematic basis in Azerbaijan. Wages and pensions have been raised several times in recent years. Another increase is expected in a few months.

Please accept my congratulations on this remarkable occasion again. I wish you good health and further successes.

X X X

District resident Kazim Aliyev thanked the President on behalf of the people of Astara.

X X X

President Ilham Aliyev said:

- Indeed, there is rapid development in all spheres of life in Azerbaijan today. You remember the early 1990s. We also remember those years too well. Azerbaijan’s future was at stake. In 1991, we restored our independence. However, the negative developments and tensions in the country in 1993, the crisis actually jeopardized our independence. The people leading Azerbaijan at the time failed to fulfill their public duty with dignity and, after facing a difficult situation, “froze” their posts and fled the country. Of course, the people of Azerbaijan remember those days too well. At present, I don’t think these people’s attempts to do something deserve any attention. Don’t heed attention to that. These steps are being taken for show, they can neither undermine stability in Azerbaijan nor deal a blow to our successful development. There is no room on the political arena for those who took part in those developments, started a civil war in Azerbaijan in the early 1990s and then cowardly fled the country. These people have already been consigned to history archives. The developments unfolding in different countries from time to time simply give them a boost and inspiration. We saw this in 2005. Then, the developments taking place in the CIS in a sense brought them into action too. They tried to imitate someone else’s experience. We remember those orange ribbons and knots very well. Their attempts collapsed because the people of Azerbaijan did not support them. This time, there is no need for talking about that at all. The state of Azerbaijan is so strong and the public and political stability in Azerbaijan are so solid that the people of Azerbaijan have long said “No!” to those trying to hamper us, to deal a blow to Azerbaijan’s successful development and in some cases acting on instructions from foreign circles.

Our future is in our own hands. Our biggest achievement is our independence. We are constantly strengthening our independence with specific deeds, programs, creative work and landscaping.

Today Azerbaijan determines its fate itself, our influence on regional developments is growing. No issues can be resolved in the region without regard for Azerbaijan and its interests. I have repeatedly expressed my thoughts about that, and life is showing that these are not just words. This is a reality. If someone ever tries to set aside the interests of Azerbaijan, they see afterwards that not a single issue can be resolved in the region without securing our interests – be it a political issue, regional cooperation or an economic project. Azerbaijan has become a regional factor, and our growing power is gratifying for our citizens and friends, but it annoys those who are hostile towards us. Unfortunately, there are still such forces in the country. I can’t even call them a force.

Everything is new today – construction of the road, opening of a school, establishment of a hydro power plant and the immense work being done in general. This pleases every citizen, but not them. The worse the situation, the better for them. In other words, they are, to some extent, dishonest people who have dedicated their lives to a cause that is aimed against Azerbaijan’s happy future. They organize, if this is an appropriate word, their attempts to deal a blow to Azerbaijan’s interests. So these are anti-national forces. You know, the relations between the authorities and the opposition should be resolved in a normal format. In essence, these relations are necessary. In every developed country these relations are regulated in a normal manner. Although our country has been independent for 20 years and has covered a long road, regrettably the situation in this sphere is not normal. But I repeat, neither we nor Azerbaijani society pays any attention to these actions and attempts. We are and will be going along our own path. No-one can hamper us. Neither these forces, a group of people inside the country, nor the circles outside it, because our cause is one of development and justice.

We want peace and development in our country and region, we want people to live well, all our interests to be secured, the Karabakh issue to be resolved soon and fairly. This is our natural demand because all international legal norms defend our position, and the issue must be resolved only on the basis of international law. Our position is categorical, and I recently expressed my views on that again. As for the country’s socioeconomic development, I repeat that there are specific programs on all directions, they have specific results – on social security, on the implementation of infrastructure projects, on landscaping of settlements and villages, on road construction.

You have indicated that a major Olympic Center is under construction in Astara. This will also be a great gift to the young people. The House of Youth has been built. Our youth must be both physically and morally strong, love the motherland and be patriotic. Our older generation, veterans and elders are an example. We have always treated and will continue to treat veterans and elders with great respect. Their material provision must also be improved. At present, the implementation of the instruction I issued several days ago has started. Pensions must also be raised. People must live well, there must be peace, stability and development in the country, all social issues must be resolved. This is the country we are building, and we are building it well. Of course, the work under way in every district is of special importance. In particular, more attention should be paid to the work under way in borderline districts. Astara District occupies a very important place on Azerbaijan’s map. All the work in Astara must be carried out at a high level.

I am sure that the construction of such rural roads will be continued in the future, and all social and economic issues in the district will be resolved.

My greetings to you again!

X X X

Local residents thanked the head of state.

Х Х Х

Representatives of the public had their picture taken with President Ilham Aliyev.