53 years ago, Heydar Aliyev’s mission to bring power and development to Azerbaijan began
Today, Azerbaijan is living the most powerful period in its history. All these achievements of our country, which triumphantly ended the two-century conflict and the thirty-year war, became one of the most reforming countries in the world, and became the leader of the region, are the results of the great activity of President Ilham Aliyev. However, let’s not forget one point, our respected head of state always says that the basis of these achievements is the successful implementation of the political course of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev.
The foundations formed by National Leader Heydar Aliyev, who is rightfully considered the greatest Azerbaijani in the world, during his activity are also the only alternative path to the advancement of our country as the right path that will ensure the successful development of Azerbaijan for many decades.
The historical services of the Great Leader in the direction of establishing a development model of statehood in Azerbaijan, which is located in a sensitive region, is a rich heritage that is accepted and studied by the whole world. We can confidently say that the services of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to the state and people of Azerbaijan are irreplaceable. All these works began on July 14, 1969, when the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev came to power in Azerbaijan.
Successful start of historic mission
Every nation aspires to restore its traditions of national statehood and independence under historically favorable conditions. Such a real historical chance for the people of Azerbaijan, which has rich traditions of statehood, arose in the second half of the last century precisely when the great statesman Heydar Aliyev was elected as the head of the republic in 1969.
Despite the strict laws of the Soviet regime, the arrival of a genius in Azerbaijan led to great economic, scientific, literary and cultural development and independent thinking in our republic. Therefore, we can say that the last 53 years in the history of Azerbaijan are the era of Heydar Aliyev.
We must admit that at that time, Azerbaijan occupied one of the last places in the former USSR in terms of economic indicators. The economic and political crisis in the republic deepened every year. There was an ideological-political, socio-economic and moral crisis in the most diverse areas of social life, and negative situations were taking place. Azerbaijan was lagging behind the indicators of the common union due to the rate of development of the national income, the volume of industrial and agricultural production, the application of the achievements of scientific and technical progress in production, and the productivity of public labor.
In the current situation, the leadership of the former USSR saw the way out in a personnel change, and after serious and comprehensive research, it settled on the genius leader Heydar Aliyev, who stood out among the various candidates for his organization, high management, and deep knowledge, and who was deeply familiar with the characteristic national characteristics of the people. This decision completely changed the situation.
Despite its rich natural resources and production potential, Heydar Aliyev, who investigated the reasons why Azerbaijan fell into the ranks of the backward republics of the former USSR from the first days, proved that he was a professional strategist and a wise statesman by ensuring the implementation of complex measures that served economic development. The national leader tried to accelerate the attachment of Azerbaijanis to their historical traditions and roots by raising the national-spiritual spirit in the republic, and to form the economic and material-technical base necessary for the people to live independently.
After the National Leader began to lead the country, in a short period of time, Azerbaijan became a republic with modern economic potential within the USSR. As a result of the large-scale works started under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan took its rightful place among the union republics.
During the Soviet years, on the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, measures were implemented that gave a strong impetus to the development of the national self-consciousness, culture and mother tongue of our people. In this sense, in those years, not only the socio-economic rise, but also the return to national and moral values was connected with the name of Heydar Aliyev. Heydar Aliyev did everything he could to ensure that the moral values of our people did not disappear during the period when the Soviet ideology prevailed. It is for this reason that the purposeful policy implemented during the years of Soviet rule could not erase the national and moral values of the Azerbaijani people from the consciousness of the people.
In the 1970s, Azerbaijan rose to one of the leading places in the former USSR for the production of agricultural and industrial products, the national income increased, the republic became a large construction site, and new production enterprises began to operate. On the basis of the industrial potential, which the National Leader began to form based on great determination and will, our republic took the leading positions in the Union in the production of oil machinery, household air conditioners, electric motors, electromagnetic equipment, refrigerators, synthetic rubber, rolled pipes, glass and glass containers and other products in those years. .
In general, during the years 1969-1982, the achievements made in the fields of agriculture, economy, science and culture in the country made important contributions to the overall development of Azerbaijan. Therefore, these years are characterized as a period of national renaissance in the truest sense of the word.
In addition to all this, Heydar Aliyev, as the owner of a wise mind, prepared a real political, legal and economic basis for the realization of the people’s feelings of independence and freedom with his multifaceted steps that served the national interests during the first leadership of Azerbaijan.
Thus, the development, success and rise of Azerbaijan since the 1970s are connected with the name of the National Leader. The period when the Great Leader led Azerbaijan for the first time is written as the brightest pages in the annals of construction. Many foundations of our state independence, development and progress in Azerbaijan originate from this period. The most important of those facts was that at the time of the collapse of the world socialist system and the great Soviet empire, Azerbaijan was already the second republic that could survive among the allied republics of the USSR due to its level of development and multi-sector economy.
Decline, the threat of losing independence and the day of Liberation
In December 1982, the Great Leader, who was elected a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, was also appointed as the first deputy chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers. At the October 1987 plenum, he resigned as a member of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and as the first deputy chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers.
Thus, the era of Heydar Aliyev’s absence (1987-1993) began in Azerbaijan. We must say clearly that the successful development and progress achieved in 1969-1987 declined in 6 years without Heydar Aliyev, and the successes gained were lost. As a result of the insidious activities of the leaders, who have become the playthings of new anti-national centers, all achievements have been lost, and Azerbaijan has come to the brink of a great abyss. The years without Heydar Aliyev were the period of Karabakh war, danger of losing independence, civil war, political crisis and social misery. Even the struggle for power overshadowed the war with Armenia. As a result of this, our lands were occupied one after another and 1 million of our compatriots were displaced from their homes. With that, the situation of Azerbaijan became more difficult.
In such a difficult and complicated period, our people took the right step and turned to Heydar Aliyev to save the country from the severe crisis it was in. Because the people of Azerbaijan were sure that only Heydar Aliyev could save the country from this pitiful situation. There was a reason for that. The people wanted to see Azerbaijan, which the Great Leader brought out of recession to the stage of development in 1969-1982, to live in a modern and truly independent state.
Thus, the people united and invited the genius to Baku. Returning to power in Azerbaijan in 1993, the Great Leader undertook the very difficult and honorable mission of saving our independence from destruction. At that time, it was difficult to imagine that Heydar Aliyev, who was in the wise age of his life and was subjected to numerous threats, would return to power again. Despite this, the fact that this strong personality risked his own life without fearing anything, literally saying, “I am donating the rest of my life to my people” and jumping into the political field was an unparalleled sacrifice for his people and state.
The election of Heydar Aliyev as the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet on June 15 of that year went down in history as a great political event that paved the way for the salvation of Azerbaijan’s statehood and independence. It was Heydar Aliyev who protected and saved our statehood and freedom, and today the realization of our dream of living in an independent, democratic, legal state on real and stable foundations is connected with the name of the genius.
June 15 National Liberation Day was written in golden letters in our history as a glorious celebration of “people-Heydar” unity. The people found the way out of all the turmoils and tragedies they faced in the person of Heydar Aliyev. As a leader, Heydar Aliyev was ready to sacrifice his life for the salvation of the nation and the state from crises and hardships. This mutual trust, faith – unity of the people and the leader is one of the rare events in the history of the world. If we carefully examine the period of our history that began after the 1980s and continues until now, we will clearly understand the importance and uniqueness of the National Liberation Day.
The cornerstone of modern development, the path from crisis to chaos
After returning to power for the second time, the Great Leader created miracles in Azerbaijan, literally. Maybe God saved a state from disintegration and destruction. He laid the foundation of a real democratic, civil society and directed the country towards development. After the brilliant leader returned to Azerbaijan, one of the most important things he did for the formation and rise of the national ideology, civil society, and the realization of the people’s dreams in our country was the development and activation of social and political institutions. National Leader played an indispensable role in protecting Azerbaijan trade unions from the influence of various political forces and fulfilling their mission in society. Thanks to them, the destruction of the material and technical base of the trade unions, formed over many years, was prevented, the administrative-command methods alien to the civil society were abandoned, and the activity of the Azerbaijan Trade Unions Confederation based on the principles of democratic management was supported. The Great Leader relied on the trade union in the implementation of the state’s socio-economic policy until the end of his tenure as the head of state.
At the swearing-in ceremony held on October 10, 1993, the Great Leader declared to everyone that he would again serve his people with dignity: “The people of Azerbaijan are living the most complicated and tragic period of their history. It is at this time that I deeply understand the responsibility of this task assigned to me and I want to assure that I will devote all my activities and my whole life to justifying this trust and fulfilling the hopes of the people.”
When the genius assumed such a high and responsible position, he first of all relied on the intelligence, wisdom and power of his people. The National Leader, whose life and activities are an example for history and an example for the people, turned the millennial dream of generations into a historical reality. He gave his people the masterpiece he created at the expense of his hard work – independent, democratic Azerbaijan. He introduced Azerbaijan to the world with his personal reputation and practical activity, and made him a full member of the family of European countries. Our country has become the most influential state of the Caucasus region with economic and military influence.
The achievements of the period led by the Great Leader, who led Azerbaijan on the path of comprehensive progress, are visible: socio-political stability, strong economy, strong social institutions, powerful army, leading position in the region, and influence in the international world. All these are the truths of Azerbaijan. One of the most important successes in resolving the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict was the achievement of a ceasefire.
The implementation of the Great Leader’s new oil strategy, which led to radical changes in the country’s economy and brought international prestige to our independent state, began just after the ceasefire. In September 1994, the signing of the first oil contract called the “Contract of the Century” with the world’s major oil companies, 28 years ago, was written in golden letters in the economic development concept of independent Azerbaijan, and this history was forever engraved in memories as the celebration of the new oil strategy of a genius. This agreement is one of the largest agreements concluded in the world both in terms of the amount of hydrocarbon reserves and the volume of investments. Therefore, this agreement was called the cornerstone of the development of independent Azerbaijan.
The National Leader who wrote the history of independence as the founder and architect of the modern state of Azerbaijan, the savior of our people, wrote the bright pages of our history with his unparalleled services, deep-rooted democratic legal state building, and progressive reforms.
Heydar Aliyev’s greatness and statesmanship competence were in the fact that he was able to use the principles of humanism appropriately and correctly in the work of legal state-building with foresight and wisdom. He was always with his people, he was accompanied by a large crowd, he treated every citizen with care. Until the last moment of his life, he thought about the future fate of his people. A genius was born for the country, for the people, he worked bravely for the progress, development, freedom and independence of the country. With that, he rose like a mountain in the eyes and hearts of the people. Therefore, the people’s love for their loyal, genius child is endless, eternal…
The Great Leader is one of the few politicians and statesmen who have won true national love. This genius became the guarantor of Azerbaijan’s stability and security, turned our country into a state that is moving towards development and prosperity and has taken its rightful place in the world community. Statehood laid the foundation of the modern stage of our history, created a perfect scientific-theoretical system reflecting the realities of Azerbaijan, social-political, cultural-spiritual life – the philosophy of state-building, the ideology of statehood.
Azerbaijan is living the most powerful period of its history
The saying of the genius once said “The time will come when Azerbaijan will rise like the sun to the world” is the reality of our day and is a real confirmation of his foresight. Indeed, today Azerbaijan is sounding like the most powerful state in the history of the world.
The people of Azerbaijan are happy because the genius entrusted the destiny of our independent republic, which he created and entrusted to Mr. Ilham Aliyev, who is a worthy follower of his school. Today, independent Azerbaijan is recognized as a powerful state in the world thanks to the statecraft and leadership ability of President Ilham Aliyev, who benefited from the genius of the Great Leader and continued his political course with dignity.
Mr. Ilham Aliyev really turned the country we live in today into the Azerbaijan that a genius leader wants to see. The reason for this is that the Honorable President successfully implemented the concept of development defined by the Great Leader for 19 years.
All this confirms that the Great Leader’s ideas live and always bring success to Azerbaijan. As President Ilham Aliyev said – “As long as there is Azerbaijan, there will be Heydar Aliyev. We, the followers of the Great Leader, will follow his path, strengthen our country, and protect our independence.”
But how did Azerbaijan achieve these successes?!
With the independent policy of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has become a reliable partner and voice in the world. As a result of economic reforms, the country’s economy increased 3.2 times, and this was considered a world record. About 300 billion dollars were invested in the economy of Azerbaijan during the period of independence. These investments, realized transnational projects and social programs determined the successful future of Azerbaijan. In 2003, i.e. 19 years ago, Azerbaijan’s foreign exchange reserves were 1.8 billion dollars, and today it has 52 billion dollars.
The international transit projects approved and directly initiated by Azerbaijan – Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, “Southern Gas Corridor”, “North-South”, “East-West” transport corridors turned our country into an oil and gas exporter in the world, a transport-logistics and industrial center.
With the development of all areas of the economy, our country produces hundreds of products under the “Made in Azerbaijan” brand on the world market. All these projects once again prove that Azerbaijan has traveled a great and honorable path during the last 19 years. Having strengthened its position as a major investor, Azerbaijan has become one of the leading countries in the CIS in terms of the volume of investments made in the economy of foreign countries in the region.
This is confirmed not only by us, but also by international organizations. Achievements are also evaluated by international structures. Davos World Economic Forum announced Azerbaijan as one of the 10 most reforming countries in the world, and President Ilham Aliyev as the most reforming head of state.
Based on all these successes, we can say that in the last 19 years, Azerbaijan has achieved great historical successes based on conceptual approaches and programs in all directions. During these years, in terms of economic reforms, there was no second country that developed as fast as Azerbaijan. If in 1993-2003 the protection of state independence from internal and external threats, the revival of the economy, and the promotion of our country in the international arena were practical goals, in the last 19 years, new goals have been defined and development dynamics achieved. Few countries can be compared to Azerbaijan.
In short, the dynamic development and rapid progress of our country under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the magnificent projects implemented, the comprehensive renewal and modernization of Azerbaijan, and the positive changes that enable us to present our homeland to the world in a new form are proof of the continuation of the right path defined by the Great Leader. This rise fully confirms the non-alternativeness of Heydar Aliyev’s concept of development. Therefore, we can confidently say that the name of Heydar Aliyev, the architect and founder of independent Azerbaijan, will be as eternal as Azerbaijan itself, and his ideas will always shine a light on our future paths.
A worthy contribution to the legacy of the Great Leader from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation
For two years, the people of Azerbaijan have been experiencing the joy and pride of the Great Victory in the Patriotic War. By the order of Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, the Armed Forces of Azerbaijan liberated Karabakh, which was occupied by the Iron Fist operation and is an integral part of our country, from the enemy by force of arms.
Thus, the natural and sacred right of the Azerbaijani people was ensured, and a great turning point in the history of the Caucasian peoples took place – the process of liberating Azerbaijani lands from occupation. The Commander-in-Chief, who resolved the two-century conflict and the 30-year war both militarily and diplomatically, raised his eternal statue in the hearts of the people of Azerbaijan.
Of course, we would not be wrong if we say that the Victory won in the Patriotic War is the result of Heydar Aliyev’s policy. Because on the day the war ended, the head of state Mr. Ilham Aliyev, who said that he felt happy because he fulfilled his father’s will, once again confirms that this Victory is the greatest success of the modern development concept defined by the Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. What the Great Leader said at the time: “We will solve the Karabakh issue. It takes time. No one can buy their land from Azerbaijan. Our occupied lands will definitely be returned. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, who turned his ideas into reality, really pleased the visionary and eternal spirit of our National Leader.
Today, every Azerbaijani, regardless of where he lives, experiences the joy of this Victory. Thanks to the determination of the victorious Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, this Victory, which echoed around the world, is the most glorious page of our history. As the victorious leader of the victorious country, Mr. Ilham Aliyev, who makes continuous visits to our lands freed from occupation, intimidates the enemy and his patrons every time he opens some object and lays the foundation of a new one.
The respected President, who rebuilt Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, also demonstrates the economic power of Azerbaijan to the world. We should also emphasize that, in addition to the activities of the President of Azerbaijan, who successfully implemented the policy of the Great Leader, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by the First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva, also lives this legacy with dignity. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the largest non-governmental organization in the Caucasus, has become the most influential charity in the world. The goodwill missions and various projects carried out in different countries of the world are all aimed at promoting the propaganda of the Great Leader. Today, the most glorious page of the fund’s activity is that Karabakh and East Zangazur are at the forefront of the reconstruction process. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, which has breathed life into thousands of monuments, is realizing the restoration of our religious heritage, mosques, and cultural monuments in Karabakh.
The Karabakh conflict has already entered history and a new page has opened in the life of Azerbaijan. President Ilham Aliyev, who solved the Karabakh problem, laid the foundation for the emergence of new realities in the region. The President of Azerbaijan, who always comes up with global-scale initiatives and proposes the creation of new cooperation platforms to ensure peace and security in the region, has defined a road map to turn the South Caucasus into the most important transport and logistics center of Eurasia.
In a word, the unprecedented reconstruction and reconstruction works carried out by Azerbaijan in Karabakh and East Zangezur on its own strength, without any help from any international financial organization, suggest that the Great Return will soon begin and this history will open a new page in the life of our people.
Sattar MOHBALIYEV,
Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions of Azerbaijan,
Member of Parliament
“Azerbaijan” newspaper, 14.07.2022