Next week, Azerbaijan will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first Youth Forum. On February 2nd 1996, at a forum held on the initiative of then-President Heydar Aliyev, the main directions of the youth policy of Azerbaijan were identified. 1996 was a turning point for of Azerbaijan – the country began to regain strength after the hot phase of the Karabakh conflict, the country overcame economic recession, the inflation rate began to decrease. Yesterday, at a meeting with representatives of Azerbaijani youth on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the forum, President Ilham Aliyev, while reminding that the first years of the history of independence were very difficult for Azerbaijan, spoke about the history of the Karabakh conflict. "Young people should know what kind of situation we overcame and in what kind of situation we are right now. If we forget this history, we can't properly plan the future," Ilham Aliyev proved the need for such an excursion into history.
"The territorial claims and support of Armenians by the Soviet government on this issue created big problems for our country ... If you look at the maps issued at the beginning of the last century, you can see that the vast majority of the names of cities are of Azerbaijani origin ... Back in the late 1980s, in Nagorno-Karabakh, which is a primordial Azerbaijani land, in the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Region, a special committee was created, and Nagorno-Karabakh was actually taken from the jurisdiction of Azerbaijan. This, of course, is an integral part, the beginning of the treacherous plans against our nation," Ilham Aliyev stated.
He spoke about how he visited Karabakh with his father, Heydar Aliyev, in the 1980s. "I remember how he was greeted by the local population – Azerbaijanis and Armenians – in the 1980s, when he traveled to Nagorno-Karabakh, Shusha, Khankendi. With great respect, with great love, with thunderous applause. There really was no reason for confrontation. I remember there was snowy weather during the opening of the mausoleum of Vagif in Shusha. Armenian and Azerbaijani poets spoke there. Armenian poets recited poems in the Azeri language. They read their poems. No one would have thought that this artificial conflict will arise. It was a big provocation against our nation. It was committed by Armenian nationalists and the Soviet government."
According to the President, Armenia had major patrons, they still exist today. He named this fact as the cause of the unresolved conflict. "World powers – it's not just about the Armenians worldwide – large states, for various reasons, are actually responsible for the occupation policy of Armenia," Ilham Aliyev stated, stressing that the main problem of Azerbaijan is the restoration of its territorial integrity and the return of the Azerbaijani population to their lands.
The president expressed regret that the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, who should directly address this issue, seek not a settlement, but a freezing of this conflict: "At the moment their activity is absolutely meaningless. They not only do not put pressure on Armenia, but also protect it from potential problems." Aliyev said that, at the last hearings in the Council of Europe, when the Karabakh issue was put on the agenda, the co-chairs of the Minsk Group put pressure on the Council of Europe so that this would not be considered, as the result of which they lacked four votes to pass the resolution. "The religious factor plays role here. We are Muslims, so we are treated from the position of double standards. Especially in the current period, when Islamophobia has reached a peak in Europe," Ilham Aliyev believes.
According to him, "right now, people who suffer from that war are seeking refuge in Europe. How are they treated there? Put in cells ... . Where is the mercy, human rights, tolerance? Only for the sake of slogans. These are the real processes taking place in the world. The more migrants go to Europe, the stronger radical forces in Europe become. If we look at the results of the elections held in the leading countries of Europe, we can see how the percentage of radical Islamophobic parties has increased over 10 years. Perhaps it has doubled, and that is a trend. In what will this trend result? In the fact that in 10 or 15 years they might come to power. What will the official position in relation to Muslims be then? In this case, is there a place for us there?"
Ilham Aliyev reminded that Azerbaijan did not sign the Association Agreement with the European Union, because that document did not envisage a fair position on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict: "If today double standards are the criteria globally, in world politics, then they should say so. Then they should not say that we supposedly support democracy, equality, that all people are equal, we are in favor of human rights. Do they think about the human rights of a million Azerbaijani citizens? It does not interest them! ... There is no mechanism of pressure on countries that violate international law. Such steps are taken only in relation to small countries. What should a small country do in this situation? First and foremost, rely on its own resources."
Azerbaijan has pursued a policy of relying on its own resources for more than two decades, and it is recognized in the world. 155 countries supported its candidacy during the election to the UN Security Council. The country has created a powerful economy, and an army which is among the 40 strongest armies in the world. Azerbaijan has implemented historic projects in energy policy, connected the Caspian and Mediterranean Seas. Right now, the 'Southern Gas Corridor' project is being implemented on the initiative of Baku. But today the country is beginning a new period – the post-oil one. Moreover, the country has every opportunity for that. It has a powerful intellectual potential, literacy in Azerbaijan is at a level of 100%.
As a result of the implementation of the oil strategy of Heydar Aliyev, the country was able to achieve the implementation of major projects. The Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline have opened up broad opportunities. The State Oil Fund was established. Azerbaijan began to export large amounts of oil and began to receive income. The regions and Baku have implemented new infrastructure projects.
In the coming two or three years a new economic model will start to operate. It will be a period of innovations and intellectual development. "Dependence on oil should be eliminated completely. We are doing this through economic reforms, development of entrepreneurship, transparency. The youth should play an active role in all of this," Ilham Aliyev stated.
Meanwhile, according to him, today Azerbaijan is pursuing an independent policy, and therefore often becomes a target: "The reason for the pressure and libelous campaigns against us is that we always behave with dignity, we defend the interests of our nation and state. Some people do not like this." The President urged to cherish patriotism, national values and traditions, so that the next generation live according to the ideas of statehood and protection of national interests.
