Heydar Aliyev’s ingenious personality owns an exclusive place in the history of Azerbaijani statehood. As a bright carrier of the ideology of Azerbaijanism, Heydar Aliyev, due to his wise policies, unwavering convictions and historical vision, succeeded in materializing the idea of national statehood, building a modern Azerbaijani state and realizing the independence dreams of our people. As a result of Heydar Aliyev’s activity Azerbaijan, capitalizing on its geo-strategic, economic and cultural potential, has started to play the role of a reliable bridge between the East and the West and become one of the most dynamic economies in the world.

The construction of a modern, democratic, law-governed and secular state, the development of civil society, the return to the national and spiritual values, and the development of science, education and culture in Azerbaijan are forever linked with the name of Heydar Aliyev. The adoption of the country’s fundamental law country, the Constitution, the principle of separation of powers, the alignment of the legal framework and national laws with international standards, the adoption of modern management practices, and the formation of government agencies are integral parts of the broad constructive program implemented under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev.

The transformation of Azerbaijan into a country producing and exporting oil and gas on a global scale, the successful implementation of the national oil strategy, the signing of contracts with the world’s leading oil companies, the creation of an oil industry infrastructure meeting contemporary requirements, the diversified transportation of oil through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan, Baku-Supsa and Baku-Novorossiysk pipelines are all products of Heydar Aliyev’s activities.

The successful integration into the global economy, economic liberalization in the country, Azerbaijan’s growing credit rating, a high level of economic competitiveness, the annually increasing state budget and foreign exchange reserves are a strong indication of a stable economy built by Heydar Aliyev since 1993 on the basis of new principles. The successful development of the non-oil sector in Azerbaijan is also a logical result of Heydar Aliyev’s vision.

By handing over land to private ownership, Heydar Aliyev, whose bold decisions are unparalleled in post-Soviet republics, ensured the country’s food security. The successful operation of different agricultural complexes today is a manifestation of his agricultural policy.

The wise policy of the great leader, which he started to pursue by opening the military lyceum named after Jamshid Nakhchivansky, then completing various stages in the formation of the national army and finally creating the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan, has resulted in the emergence of the leading military force in the South Caucasus.

The role of Heydar Aliyev’s personality is also undeniable in the application of our native language as the state language, the enhancement of its importance and evaluation as the greatest asset of the Azerbaijani people. The introduction of Azerbaijani culture and our rich heritage to the world is one of Heydar Aliyev’s invaluable merits. The fact that the 500th anniversary of Mohammed Fizuli and the 1300th anniversary of the "Dede Gorgud" epic were celebrated at the level of UNESCO, besides promoting Azerbaijani culture, led to the establishment of new forms of cooperation with the international cultural community.

It was under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev that a foreign political course based on national interests and taking into account the political future was defined, relationships were established with leading countries of the world and international organizations. His successful foreign policy contributed to the growing international authority of our country, which is now perceived as a reliable partner, and to its promotion as a reformist and ambitious state. Thanks to Heydar Aliyev’s decisive steps in the international arena, our diplomacy has developed an active stance. The attitude of the world community towards the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, to which Azerbaijan was dragged by force, has changed. The sovereignty and territorial integrity of our country and the inviolability of its borders are reflected in all international legal documents.

Heydar Aliyev has succeeded in having Azerbaijan, an important center of the Great Silk Road located at the crossroads of cultures and civilizations, recognized in the world as an area of tolerance. His foreign visits, meetings with political, public and religious leaders have led to the formation of a new image of our country.

The words of the national leader of our people, "I have always been proud and I am proud today that I am Azerbaijani", along with being the slogan of Azerbaijanis of the world, have become the cornerstone of solidarity of our compatriots. Thanks to the consistent and goal-oriented policy pursued by Heydar Aliyev during his leadership of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani Diaspora has formed, developed and demonstrated a close attachment to the historical homeland. The fact that the Azerbaijanis living in different countries of the world consider the Republic of Azerbaijan their homeland, see it as a temple of the national spirit, national and spiritual values, national culture, and are rallied around the idea of Azerbaijanism is precisely the result of Heydar Aliyev’s activities.

Heydar Aliyev’s assessment of the bloody 20 January events as a military, political and moral aggression against our people and a continuation of the tragedy unleashed by the totalitarian regime against Azerbaijan in the 20th century was the embodiment of a political ideology of patriotism in a new political environment, which he remained committed to throughout his life. 15 June 1993, the day when Heydar Aliyev assumed leadership at the persistent requests of the people at a time when the political, economic and social crisis in the first years of Azerbaijan’s independence brought it the brink of civil war, has gone down in history as the day of national salvation. This salvation quickly manifested itself not only in politics but also in the economy, education, culture and daily lives of the people.

Over a short period of time, Heydar Aliyev managed to turn Azerbaijan, whose economy was in decline, the inflation was skyrocketing, there was widespread unemployment, the atmosphere of hopelessness and other negative phenomena, into a country that has embarked on the path of economic and cultural development and is open to foreign investment and major international projects. The economic policy of the state built by Heydar Aliyev, while always keeping the social protection of the population in the spotlight, was characterized by a social focus. Today, Azerbaijan is a country with foundations of an influential civil society, where various political parties operate freely, hundreds of newspapers and magazines are published without censorship, there are numerous private television channels and a rapidly growing number of Internet users.
By his political genius Heydar Aliyev defined the modern look of Azerbaijan and left an indelible mark on the fate of our nation. The huge successes achieved by his policies are obvious. These successes are reflected in the ever-changing appearance of our capital, the rapid modernization of our cities and districts, economy and science, education, culture and health, and our public and political life.

Azerbaijan, a product of Heydar Aliyev, resembles a large construction site today.

Hundreds of industrial and infrastructure facilities, schools, hospitals, sports sites, houses, office buildings and roads are under construction today. The "Azerbaijan 2020: a look into the future" concept, while reflecting our future plans, confirms that the large-scale program of Heydar Aliyev keeps providing for a continuous progress of the country and serving constant improvement of the well-being of our people.

Considering his invaluable historical services to the comprehensive development of the independent state of Azerbaijan and in order to conduct celebrations of the 90th birthday anniversary of national leader Heydar Aliyev, who has made an invaluable contribution to the affirmation of the idea of national statehood and the credibility of our country in the international arena, and governed by Clause 32 of Article 109 of the Constitution, I hereby resolve as follows:

1. To widely celebrate at state level in the Republic of Azerbaijan the 90th birthday anniversary of national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev.

2. To approve an action plan for the celebration of the 90th birthday anniversary of national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev.

3. To task the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan with resolving all the issues arising from the present Order.

Ilham Aliyev
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku city, 21 January 2013.