Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the official ceremony to mark the 90th birthday anniversary of national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev

- Dear ladies and gentlemen, dear friends.

Today Azerbaijan marks the 90th birthday anniversary of great leader Heydar Aliyev. Heydar Aliyev is a great Azerbaijani, a great historical personality, the founding father of the modern state of Azerbaijan. He dedicated his life to the people of Azerbaijan and always faithfully served the nation.

Scientific papers, books and works of art describing the role of personality in history have been created at different times. This issue is still a subject of controversy at times. But in the example of Heydar Aliyev we clearly see that the role of personality in history may in some cases be indispensable. The personality of Heydar Aliyev, the genius of Heydar Aliyev is the factor underlying the successful development of Azerbaijan today.

If we pay attention to the timing of his coming to power in Azerbaijan, we will see that both in 1969 and in 1993 his leadership put all the processes in Azerbaijan on the path of development in a positive direction. Until 1969 Azerbaijan was known in the Soviet Union as the most backward republic. The industrial potential in the republic was at a very low level. Other parameters were also very low.

After such a strong leader as Heydar Aliyev came to power in Azerbaijan, the republic underwent fundamental changes. In the 13 years of his leadership of Azerbaijan the republic became the most developed and advanced republic of the Soviet Union.

Only two republics of the Soviet Union could provide for themselves and contribute to the Union budget at the time. One of them was Azerbaijan. It was in those years that a powerful industrial potential was created in Azerbaijan, which subsequently helped us a lot in the years of independence. In particular, the work done in the oil industry and in the energy sector has played a crucial role in ensuring the energy security of the independent Azerbaijan. The development of agriculture, science, education and other fields in those years was associated with the name of Heydar Aliyev. Of course, Azerbaijan was not independent, as there were certain ideological frames in the Soviet Union. But despite this, Heydar Aliyev did a lot in those years both for the socioeconomic development and for the promotion of national and spiritual values.

Of course, as a result of this work Azerbaijan experienced great development in any direction and in any area in the 1970s. When he left for Moscow at the end of 1982, Azerbaijan was in one of the leading places. In late 1982, Heydar Aliyev was shown a great deal of confidence – he was appointed First Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers and elected a member of the Politburo. That was a great result and a great achievement for the people of Azerbaijan. Our representative, a representative of the Azerbaijani people worked in the Kremlin. While dealing with all-Union affairs at the time, he did not forget Azerbaijan.

In was in those years that many decisions related to the further development of Azerbaijan were made. The great leader always paid attention to Azerbaijan and enquired about its progress. It would be safe to say that until 1987 the developments in Azerbaijan were generally unfolding in a positive direction thanks to his control and management.

Despite that, his absence was conspicuous in Azerbaijan even at that time. Gradually things in Azerbaijan started to decline. His absence, of course, had an adverse impact both on the solution of socioeconomic issues and on the most crucial moments for our country.

The fact that such a bright personality as Heydar Aliyev was working in a highly responsible position irritated the Soviet leadership. Some people did not like this courageous personality, as he had unbending logic, always said his word and feared no-one. As a result of the propaganda held against him at the time, the envy and, unfortunately, the denunciations from those in Azerbaijan he had earlier punished for corruption, he was removed from political leadership. This marked the start of problems for Azerbaijan.

Most of the people in this room will perfectly remember those years and those days. I want to say again that if Heydar Aliyev had been in Azerbaijan or in the Soviet leadership at the time, the problem of Nagorno-Karabakh would have never emerged. The factor of Heydar Aliyev, his power and magnificence deterred Armenian nationalists from these provocations. It is no coincidence that in less than two weeks after his departure from the political leadership in 1987 the Armenian nationalists raised the issue of Nagorno-Karabakh, the issue of secession of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and its annexation to Armenia. The then leaders of Azerbaijan were helpless against such provocations, failed to demonstrate a strong stand, showed weakness and in some cases even betrayal. Thus, this issue turned into a big problem.

It is with a feeling of great regret that I declare that if Heydar Aliyev had been in Azerbaijan at the time, not an inch of our lands would have been occupied. The years without it became the most painful for us. The developments in the country went in a negative direction. Tyranny, anarchy, chaos, weakness of the authorities, the gap between the people and the government, and the territorial claims of Armenia against Azerbaijan created major problems for our country. The most painful of them, of course, is the occupation of our lands. At the same time, the Bloody January tragedy is the biggest wound and the biggest tragedy. Unfortunately, the then leadership of Azerbaijan did nothing to prevent the Bloody January tragedy, as innocent people became victims of the Soviet army. Up to that time Heydar Aliyev had no intention of engaging in active politics. But he could not remain indifferent to this tragedy and immediately expressed his attitude towards it. He came to the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan and said his word there. He condemned and castigated the Soviet leadership, said his word and stated that he stood by the Azerbaijani people.

After this, a campaign of pressure and provocation against him began. As a result of the campaign attempts were even made to arrest him. He went to Azerbaijan. But he was not allowed to live in Baku. So he returned to Nakhchivan. In Nakhchivan, the people defended him. Later, he also defended his people, as the callous intentions of Armenians were also aimed at Nakhchivan. These plans envisaged the seizure of Nakhchivan. He did not allow them to do that, put the Armenians in place, defended Nakhchivan and took decisive steps towards independence. It was on his initiative that the state flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, the tricolor flag, was declared the national flag of Nakhchivan for the first time, and an application was sent to the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan to adopt the flag as the state flag. In those years the name of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was changed and the words "Soviet Socialist" were eliminated, which also became a very important step towards independence.

Other steps were also taken. In other words, the path leading to the state independence of Azerbaijan started from Nakhchivan. It was made possible on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, due to his work, courage and determination. It was in those years that a modern political system was formed and began to develop in Azerbaijan.

The establishment of the "Yeni Azerbaijan Party" in November 1992 was a historic event. The "Yeni Azerbaijan Party", which was established as an opposition party, became a phenomenon of particular importance for a cultural and civilized solution of political issues in Azerbaijan. The small political groups created prior to that were largely engaged in strife. Anyone wishing to engage in politics could bring together a group of people who called themselves a party. However, the groups that had no idea about party building were, of course, an obstacle in the way of the political system. The establishment of the "Yeni Azerbaijan Party" has played a special role in shaping the political system. It is no coincidence that the "Yeni Azerbaijan Party" under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev earned tremendous respect in the country over a short period of time. And it has been the ruling party since 1993 to this day.

Today it is the largest party not only in Azerbaijan but also in the South Caucasus.

Those who were in power in Azerbaijan at the time were trying to cut each other’s throat in Baku, started a civil war and shed fraternal blood. On the one hand, Armenian nationalists seized our lands and on the other those who were in the government squabbled with each other.

As a result of the occupation of Shusha and Lachin in May 1992 and Kalbajar in April 1993, a geographical connection appeared between Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia, which had a very negative impact on the resolution of the conflict and the course of events. Azerbaijan was practically on the verge of losing its independence. The independence the Azerbaijani people had dreamed about for centuries was about to be lost. The country was falling apart and the situation got out of control.

The people of Azerbaijan demonstrated their wisdom again, turned to the great leader and urged him to take power. Even the anti-national forces which held high positions in the government of Azerbaijan at the time and once tried to commit acts of sabotage against Heydar Aliyev by wanting to send troops to Nakhchivan in fear for their lives invited Heydar Aliyev. Their own destiny was already at stake. I remember those days perfectly well. The people of Nakhchivan did not want Heydar Aliyev to go, they wouldn’t let him leave. But as a civil servant and someone who loved his homeland, Azerbaijan, he had practically no choice. He arrived in Baku. We all remember the processes taking place in Baku at the time. The first issue was the cessation of the civil war. He achieved that. Then, after certain stability was established in Azerbaijan, he embarked on major reforms. We can say that 1993 was a watershed in our modern history. I am absolutely certain that if Heydar Aliyev hadn’t returned to power at the request of the people in 1993, the very existence of Azerbaijan could have been in jeopardy.

We and the people of Azerbaijan are very happy to have had a leader such as Heydar Aliyev. In 10 years, from 1993 to 2003, Azerbaijan covered a long and successful road. The process of nation building was successfully conducted and led to excellent results in Azerbaijan. The Constitution of the independent Azerbaijan was adopted. A political and legal assessment was given to the Bloody January tragedy. The ideological foundations of our state were laid. Fundamental political reforms were conducted. Far-reaching reforms were launched in the economic sphere. The market economy was adopted as the main principle. Azerbaijan managed to break the information blockade and introduce itself to the world. We joined a number of international organizations. Stability was established. All illegal armed groups were disarmed. All anti-national forces which had seized power in Azerbaijan illegally in 1992 stepped aside. Since then, they have completely disappeared from the political scene and are now in the archives of history. There are opportunities for development, the development which introduces the independent Azerbaijan as a developing country on a global scale.

In those years it was an extremely difficult and complicated task to attract investment to Azerbaijan, to encourage investors to make investment, to convince them to invest in Azerbaijan because Azerbaijan was a high-risk country. The civil war had just ended. The ceasefire was declared in May 1994. Only a few months later was the "Contract of the Century" signed. Both other people and I have repeatedly expressed our thoughts about the role of the "Contract of the Century" in the history of Azerbaijan's independence. Today’s realities of Azerbaijan confirm once again: the attraction of foreign investment was the only right step. It helped us bring in investment and take Azerbaijan out of the difficult economic plight. After the signing of the "Contract of the Century" hard work began.

You know that the geopolitical situation was very difficult at the time. Great leader Heydar Aliyev made great efforts to take Azerbaijani oil to world markets. He laid the foundation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline with his own hands.

In 1996, another big project was signed. Today, the "Shah Deniz" project plays a major role in introducing Azerbaijan in the world as a major gas producing country. He knew that these projects can take not just one or two years, but a decade. He probably knew that he would not see the results of that work. But love of the motherland, love for the people and love of Azerbaijan were above everything to him. The solid foundations he laid down demonstrate Azerbaijan to the world as a powerful state. The bold steps and the initiatives he put forward are now becoming a reality. Today, the policy of Heydar Aliyev continues. We are committed to his policy, we are continuing his policy. The foreign political course he has laid down is being continued. Today, Azerbaijan is a country enjoying great authority and respect in the world. We are continuing economic reforms. Of course, life goes on and new challenges emerge. But we are ready for these challenges. The continuation of political reforms is also the task entrusted to us by Heydar Aliyev. And we are successfully fulfilling it.

In other words, the policy of Heydar Aliyev successfully continues today. A strong state is being built on the foundation he has laid. We are a state to be reckoned with. Not a single project can be implemented in the region without our consent – be it political, economic or energy. No project can be realized without the participation and consent of Azerbaijan. This is already a reality. Azerbaijan plays a stabilizing role in the region. All our initiatives are designed to deepen regional cooperation. All of our initiatives and work we have started lead to success. No-one can provide a single example of an initiative, project or business we have launched that has failed. We set a goal and pursue a consistent policy to achieve it. Today, Azerbaijan is experiencing a period of development in the true sense of the word. The basis for this development was laid in 1993-2003. In 2003, by showing confidence in me, the Azerbaijani people actually supported the policy of Heydar Aliyev. In 2008, the Azerbaijani people were once again convinced that the policy of Heydar Aliyev lives on, is continuing and will be continued.

Over the past 10 years we have been able to implement all our initiatives relating to domestic and foreign policies. Today, Azerbaijan is a country that is highly respected in the world. It would take a lot of time to talk about our foreign policy successes. Suffice it to cite just one example to understand how successful this policy is - Azerbaijan was elected a member of the UN Security Council - the highest and the most representative structure in the world - with the support of 155 countries. It is the pinnacle of our foreign policy.

Over the past 10 years, Azerbaijan has managed to achieve unimaginable success in the economic sphere. Our performance in terms of economic development is a world record. Our economy has grown more than three times, while the other indicators are also at a high level. Unemployment is being eliminated and poverty has declined from 50 to 6 per cent. This shows that the policy we have proclaimed is being implemented. At the center of our policy are citizens of Azerbaijan. Equitable distribution of incomes was also announced as the top priority, and today we clearly see the results of that.

The infrastructure projects ongoing in Azerbaijan have led to the emergence of a completely new situation. In recent years we have been focused on the development of the non-oil sector. As a result of the development of this sector, our non-oil sector grew by more than 11 per cent in the first quarter of this year. Neither the economic nor the financial crisis has affected us. We are conducting our economic policies consistently and deliberately, in accordance with the adopted programs. Our foreign, domestic and economic policies are the right policies. Life is confirming that. In various regions of the world the developments are unfolding in a very dangerous way. There are сlashes and confrontations. In some regions there is civil war, in others the financial and economic crisis is still ongoing. A new wave of it is setting in. We see that tens, hundreds of hundreds of people take to the streets to express their protest.

Azerbaijan is an island of stability. There is internal stability and unity between the people and the government in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's economic policy is complemented by a strong social policy. Our foreign policy is also straightforward, open, clear and independent. At the heart of our independence and of our independent policy is also economic independence. If it weren’t for economic independence and if we depended on foreign loans, we would be unable to pursue an independent policy.

Independence is the biggest asset and the greatest treasure. Independence means that our nation is free and that our fate is in our own hands. The people of Azerbaijan have finally become the masters of their own destiny. For centuries our people had lived with the dream of independence. Generations have come and gone, as our people lived with the dream of independence. Today we are independent! We have not only the attributes of independence, but also a truly independent and strong state. We are proud to be citizens of the independent state of Azerbaijan. The great leader used to say: "I am proud to be Azerbaijani."

We are going forward confidently because the work we have carried out over the last 20 years, from 1993 to the present day, gives grounds to say that we will continue to develop successfully and confidently. We have big plans. Some of these plans have already been implemented. We have already reached space.

Azerbaijan is one of a handful of space-faring countries. We have created these realities ourselves through hard work, the talent of the Azerbaijani people and thanks to the policy of Heydar Aliyev. We must remain committed to this policy.

I met with the children during the festival of flowers today. Children surrounded me. Every year I meet with children during the festival of flowers. One kid comes up and says something, then another. One child came up to me today and said, "I know you, Mr. President, you are our President". These are little children of four or five. A girl of four or five years came up to me and said, "I know you, you are the son of Heydar Baba."

You know, these are the most wonderful and dearest words I have heard today. This shows that Heydar Aliyev lives on. He lives on in the mind and heart of a little girl, in the hearts of the Azerbaijani people. As long as there is Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev will live. We are the followers of the course of the great leader. We will follow his path, strengthen Azerbaijan and protect our independence.