A country looking to the future

Ratification of the agreement between AYOR and History Faculty of the Moscow State University took place at History Faculty of the MSU. The document presupposes carrying out joint research in the sphere of Azerbaijan’s history, culture, history of Azerbaijani Diaspora. The agreement was signed at the conference "Twenty years of independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan."

Alexei Vlasov, editor-in-chief of Vestnik Kavakaza

The Azerbaijani Youth Organization of Russia plays an important role in strengthening bilateral relations between our countries. Its representatives are, in my opinion, propagators of a very important idea of integration, which, as it is common to say today, adds surplus value to the economy and politics, as well as social relations between Russia and Azerbaijan.

Today, as part of our round table, we will sign contracts and cooperative agreements between the History Faculty and the All-Russian Public Organization "The Azerbaijani Youth Organization of Russia." I must say at once that this agreement is the first agreement between the History Department and a youth organization representing our strategic partners from the Commonwealth. The agreement stipulates joint research in the study of the history of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani language and the history of the Diaspora of Azerbaijanis in Russia as well as joint activities, round tables, conferences and joint publications - in short, the complex of issues and activities that had previously been undertaken by AYOR, the Faculty of History, the WAC, and the Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan in Russia. From now on, I believe that our work for the benefit of both countries will be implemented in a systematic manner. I am pleased to sign this document on the rights of the deputy dean of the faculty of history. I think this is a very important beginning, a good step in our cooperation. Those who sit in this room would be able to benefit from this document, and I hope that this is not only a paper but also, as a writer once said, a living guide to action. Thank you again. We look forward to mutual and very useful cooperation.


Now I would like to say a few words on the issue that is in the title of our meeting today: "Twenty years of independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan." On the one hand, this event, this meeting, is timed not to an anniversary, but to a holiday. And during the holidays we should mainly remember only the good, and only those milestones in the history of contemporary Azerbaijan and bilateral relations, which are often recalled during the meetings of our respected leaders Dmitry Medvedev and Aliyev Ilham Heydar oglu. Of course, during the last 6-7 years, we are observing a situation where one can say quite clearly that Russia and Azerbaijan have become important strategic partners in the South Caucasus. Neither in the economic sphere, nor in the field of humanitarian cooperation, nor even in the troubled and acute field of energy, is there any problem that cannot be resolved at the level of calm, rational and balanced dialogue. But, as historians, we should always remember that it was not always like that. There were difficult moments related to the circumstances of the collapse of the Soviet Union, there was "Black January," tragic pages in the history of the young state of Azerbaijan and there were, from my point of view, strategic mistakes committed back then (probably in the mid-, maybe at the beginning of the 90s) by the Russian government, which did not lead to irreparable consequences, but complicated the pursuit of the primarily geopolitical interests of Russia in the crucial region of the Caucasus and the Caspian Sea. This mistake was caused by missing the opportunities provided to us by life itself of building a stronger, closer and more effective relations with the Republic of Azerbaijan, after the national leader Heydar Aliyev came to power in the country. This man, who for a long time not only held the highest offices in the Republic of Azerbaijan, but also actively worked in Moscow in the 1980s, understood and conveyed to his son, Ilham Aliyev, a high respect and high degree of creative perception of culture, language, traditions and mentality of the Russian people. The personal understanding of the popular leader of Azerbaijan was that without Russia there would be no peace in the South Caucasus and that Russia itself should make efforts to ensure possibilities of reaching and providing a fair and long-awaited peace in the South Caucasus.

This idea was embraced as a guide to action when Vladimir Putin became Russian President. Now, for the past 11 years, we are moving towards a convergence of positions, we are beginning to gradually formulate an understanding of the entire range of issues that make up national social security, as well as quality of human capital. Speaking about the importance of bilateral relations in this context, first of all I would like of course to tell our young colleagues that in the space of the former Soviet Union there is probably only one other state, which like Azerbaijan has relatively quickly and efficiently overcome the aftermath of the 1990s – it is Kazakhstan. Somewhere, probably at the beginning of the twenty-first century, when both Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan began to fill their budgets with oil revenues, a sharp rise in living standards of the population took place. Now Azerbaijan is certainly the most prosperous state of the South Caucasus ... But everyone who carries out such comparisons often forgets that Kazakhstan has not experienced what Azerbaijan has survived: the loss of a considerable part of its territory, the profound socio-political crisis that has gripped the country in the early 90s. In these adverse conditions a level of international success was reached only after 6 years, of course, largely due to the ratification of the "Contract of the Century" in 1994, which for decades has identified a line of development of the national economy and allowed to move from a strategy of preservation to a strategy of breakthrough development. But the main condition (possibly other experts speaking after me will correct me), for the promise of success for Azerbaijan are its people. This is the human potential, which was claimed by the new government in the mid-1990s and that has led to the short-term formation of a new national elite, the creation of a pool of talented young executives. Among them were many graduates of Russian universities, who were able to implement what they have learned in such recognized education centers as Moscow State University and MGIMO. And most importantly, there were state managers, patriots who had returned to Azerbaijan after having received education in Russia, in these unpleasant, unstable times for the country, not for the biggest salaries. But they have linked their future to the future of the country, the economic recovery and rapid growth which was achieved already in the mid-2000s.

I must again return to the special qualities of the national leader, Heydar Aliyev, which I think most prominently revealed themselves in the context of personnel policy. It is about his ability to select personnel for the key areas of state activity, to form tools of motivation, which at that time had nothing to do with incentives. They were connected with the ideal image of Azerbaijan - a strong, independent state, a reputable player on the international arena, which will reach a just solution in the issue of the territorial conflict over Nagorno-Karabakh, and ultimately a country that will develop its political and economic policies based on the friendship and support of the Russian Federation. We live in a time when all of these trends outlined in the era of Heydar Aliyev, have gained sufficient weight in Azerbaijan, as well as the Russian Federation.

And another factor that it seems to me has defined the success of the Azerbaijani state project is the ideological cohesion of society. In Azerbaijan, of course, there is an opposition, and there are people who express alternative views on ways of development, the political system and economy. But as someone often visiting Azerbaijan, frequently communicating with politicians belonging to different political groups with different views, I would say that the vast majority of them are patriots. These are people who do not relate some actions of the state government to the country as a whole. They criticize, but do not launch a systematic conflict, they do not destroy, but offer alternatives. And in this respectful attitude of different political forces to each other in Azerbaijan lies another guarantee for the success of the country, which made the Azerbaijani economy and social sphere one of the most actively developed in the entire post-Soviet space. In order to understand Azerbaijan it is necessary to visit Baku. This is certainly true, but it is also necessary to visit other Azerbaijani regions. When a person sees the amusement park in Gabala comparable to Disneyland - and in fact it is a province, he realizes that someone who is building not only the capital as a mirror of success (victory in the Eurovision Song Contest, the construction of beautiful hotels for Eurovision-2012 ), not only creating a strong and efficient army, which we saw at the last parade in Baku, but also understands that human life starts from the place where he was born, is a wise ruler. From his small village, his small town, where his family, his parents must feel the same comfort and convenience as the pampered capital residents. And so to all those Russians sitting here that have never been to Azerbaijan, I would recommend traveling outside Baku and feeling the life of this country, which on the one hand moves rapidly in the twenty-first century, but on the other hand piously preserves those sacred traditions absorbed by Azerbaijanis with their mother's milk - respect for elders, respect for home, a sense of belonging to the concept of Azerbaijani peace, no matter whether they live in Russia, Middle East, Turkey or Azerbaijan. This sense of belonging, unity, I think, too, was developed by Azerbaijanis over the past twenty years. And we should always take this factor into consideration when we are trying to understand the secret of the success of the republic of Azerbaijan.

In closing, I want to say that Azerbaijan is a young country. Women love to dress stylishly, young people, like their counterparts in Russia, want to buy expensive cars. This is very comforting, because it shows that the quality of life improved to the extent that people can afford it. Baku as a city is no less glamorous than Moscow. But this is only the outer side, and the inner side of success for any country or person - is always a challenge. The desire to move up a notch, the desire to achieve something. If you achieve material wealth, but do not move on - sooner or later you will lose. Throughout its history Russia has experienced such periods, and I want to wish our Azerbaijani friends and colleagues, all those young men and women who have gathered around this table, to respect the success of their country, their neighbors, but most importantly - to be constantly motivated. The success of a country, and of a person is possible only when you clearly understand the purpose, clearly know the reasons and most importantly - know how to do it. Especially since the country's success is the success of every Azerbaijani in the long run.

I have already many times uttered the words of congratulation to this date - the 20th anniversary of the independence of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan, in my opinion, has a lot to be proud of, a lot to demonstrate, but there's still more to achieve. This is a very big problem, which I hope we will solve together in a strategic partnership between Azerbaijan and Russia.

Khikmet Nagdaliev, member of the Azerbaijani Youth Organization of Russia

Here is how Heydar Aliyev himself analyzed the situation in an interview given in August, 1993: "At the moment in Azerbaijan are the ashes of a destroyed economy. The socio-political situation is worse than ever. Seventeen percent of the sovereign state has been occupied. Over half a million refugees. Interrupted industrial and agricultural production. None of the former Soviet Union republics is in such situation." When the Republic of Azerbaijan became independent, it was already at war. But unfortunately, the people who led Azerbaijan in those days were disorganized, irresponsible and incompetent. This led to the fact that they were unable to create unified armed forces of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which resulted in 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory falling under the occupation of Armenia, more than half a million refugees and tens of thousands of Azerbaijani citizens killed. First of all, Heydar Aliyev had set two goals for the state. In order to properly conduct the foreign policy it was necessary first to establish peaceful conditions in the sphere of foreign policy, that is, on its borders. Secondly - to establish stability within the country.

In May 1994 an agreement on a ceasefire between Azerbaijan and Armenia was signed. So temporary stability has been established on the front lines. At the same time, Heydar Aliyev did not allow any military associations in the country, nor any interference in the internal political processes in the country. And so the foreign policy came into action.

The course has set itself four goals. First, it was necessary to destroy the information blockade of the country. Secondly, it was necessary to eliminate unreasonable prevailing negative attitudes of other countries, especially its neighbors. In the third place, it was necessary to start cooperating with big states, as well as join and participate in international and regional organizations.

Finally, it was necessary to determine the role strategic importance of Azerbaijan in the world, and most importantly - in the complicated region of Caucasus. The properly thought-out foreign policy course of Heydar Aliyev has led to a great victory. And today we are proud of these victories and continue the development of Azerbaijan according to the course.

The further development of Azerbaijan is directly related to a very difficult, but real step of Heydar Aliyev - the Contract of the Century. The Contract of the Century has been written in golden letters in the chronicles of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In 1994, Heydar Aliyev, despite all the disapproval of large states, neighbors, and other interventions, managed to sign a contract with 11 oil industries, representing seven major developed countries. It was a very far-sighted step, because Azerbaijan greatly benefits from it even today. The contract became a source of well-being of Azerbaijan for a hundred years at minimum.

It should be noted that besides the fact that the contract was signed, it was necessary to launch the export of oil via pipelines. Despite the fact that there was an active Baku-Novorossiysk pipeline, Heydar Aliyev looked forward for new entreprises, and promoted the idea of the need to create and build a new pipeline. At first it was supposed to connect Baku and Supsa, and then again in spite of external pressure on the president of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev signed a contract to begin the construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline together with the presidents of Turkey and Georgia in 1999 at the OSCE summit in Istanbul. Construction work began in 2003.

Today, this construction has brought huge profits to the treasury of Azerbaijan. If we compare the achievements of Heydar Aliyev, for which we are very grateful to him, his steps in the economic development of the country, if we compare 1993 and 2002 than the revenues to the state budget of Azerbaijan increased 85 times. Yesterday, Mr. President, at a meeting dedicated to the results of the development of the republic in the past nine months said that the state budget of Azerbaijan is 25 billion dollars, while in 1993 the budget hardly amounted to 1 billion dollars.

Ismail Agakishiev, the head of the Caucasus Research Center under the RSUH

I would like to congratulate you all on this wonderful occasion. But it has also already achieved a great deal, as it recently became a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. And it’s a huge victory! I would like to re-cite the words of Sergei Karpov, who visited Baku this year – it was his first visit to the South Caucasus: “It is vital for Russia that each and every Azerbaijani sincerely loves his Motherland”. The love of one’s Motherland starts with the love we feel towards our parents, towards our own house, towards the street we grew up on. And only with this sincere love can we truly be Russia’s friends. Why? Because only then we’ll be able to fully understand Azerbaijan’s interests, and we’ll understand that it is vital that Azerbaijan has a friendly relationship with its neighbor – Russia.

Let’s look back 20 years ago: I’ll never forget 1991 … We had had our formal independence earlier, in December, but in January the streets of Baku were red with carnations, and I pray we never see this sight again – flowers were laid in places where blood was spilt (the army entered the city on January 20). We always talk about the current territorial problems of Azerbaijan, but back then it was much worse: the independent Talysh-Mughan Republic was forming 100 kilometers South of Baku; we had problems with the Avars and Lezgins. We were lucky – a capable person came to power, and it’s thanks to him and his allies (who are now leading our Republic) that we could preserve our territorial integrity.

Secondly, in 1993-1994 we weren’t facing a mere economic crisis – it was a total collapse. Millions of people had to leave Baku! And here I would like to thank Russia and its people, as it was Russia that our compatriots turned to and they could find work here. I don’t need to explain how important this is. So I’ll repeat again that the Azerbaijani people will never forget this and they will always be grateful to Russia for the help.

Today the economy is fully restored. Today Azerbaijan accounts for 85% of the South Caucasus’ GDP and it is truly the economic leader of the region. We also manage to maintain stable political power, and without political stability no economic prosperity is possible. One can say a lot about it, but I would like to be brief. I would only like to express my joy that the Azerbaijani Students’ Organization became so strong that it can sign a contract with the MSU History Faculty. It’s a major achievement, believe me. I’ve been a student of this faculty, but I could never have dreamed that we, students from Azerbaijan, would have such a strong organization that it would be able to contract with the faculty itself. It’s really marvellous. I would also like to say that the History Faculty, and the whole MSU for that matter, has always been multi-national. Everyone feels at home here, no matter what their ethnicity. It’s a sort of special MSU aura. MSU is a state within a state, a city within a city, a great city of students. And the Faculty of History is one of the best. You should know that the friendships you engage in while being a student will hopefully last for your whole lives. You can see it for yourself: I am sitting here, at this table, next to people with whom we’ve been friends since our years at the University. I hope that this continuity will carry on and I assure you that we are ready to help you in all possible ways. I hope you’ll make some real achievements, and the fact that representatives from such a respected organization as the All-Russian Azerbaijani Congress are present here today is a good sign.

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