By Vestnik Kavkaza
On the 10th of May the architect of modern Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, would have been 92 years of age. He became the President of Azerbaijan twice: in 1969, when Azerbaijan was a member of the Soviet Union. And at the beginning of the 90s the nation of the independent country of Azerbaijan elected him. In the period of time between these events, Heydar Aliyev was a member of the Politbureau and First Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers, but while dealing with problems on an all-Union scale, he closely watched over the situation in Azerbaijan.
On the 10th of May, speaking at a ceremony dedicated to the 92nd anniversary of the birth of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, the current President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, made a statement that "the head of the Soviet country did Heydar Aliyev an injustice.’’ This led to his resignation. "Less than two weeks after Heydar Aliyev's resignation, Armenian nationalists raised the issue of the separation of the territory of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and it joining Armenia."
"Unfortunately, the Soviet authorities had the same opinion with them on this issue. Their positions coincided. At the same time, facts have surfaced recently indicating that foreign countries have applied to the authorities of the Soviet Union for the separation of Nagorno-Karabakh from Azerbaijan and it joining Armenia… The authorities of Azerbaijan consisted of those who had no authority, political experience or national spirit. Their main task was to inflict suffering on the Azerbaijani people, as well as undermine the economy of Azerbaijan and prevent the development of Azerbaijan,’’ Ilham Aliyev said.
He remembered the days of "Black January" in 1990, when he and his father went to the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan in Moscow in order to protest against the military actions in Baku: "Thousands of Azerbaijanis went to the Permanent Mission of Azerbaijan to express solidarity, protest, and their feelings. People recognized Heydar Aliyev and immediately stopped talking. People parted to let Heydar Aliyev get through to the building. At that time the people of Azerbaijan expressed their respect and trust and also rallied around Heydar Aliyev. On the 21st of January he accused the Communist Party of the Soviet Union, together with the head of the Soviet country, and condemned the crime and raised his voice in order to uphold justice.
Two years before the collapse of the Soviet Union, Heydar Aliyev left his native Nakhichevan, where once he was elected as a member of the parliament of the autonomous republic, after that a deputy of the Azerbaijani parliament, and then the chairman of the Supreme Majlis of Nakhchivan. Then the tricolor flag of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was approved as official in Nakhichevan. It was decided to appeal to the Supreme Council of Azerbaijan with a request for approval of the flag as a national symbol of Azerbaijan.
The civil war began in Azerbaijan in 1993 and the people applied to Heydar Aliyev with a request to become the leader the country. He put an end to the civil war and the illegal armed groups were disarmed. Azerbaijan embarked on a path of reforms. Aliyev's authority among the people was so high that he managed to implement in Azerbaijan any state system. But having been a member of the Communist Party for many years, he left it after the bloody January events, and chose the path of democracy, development and a market economy.
Due to this, today is the most successful period of Azerbaijan. "The world already knows how to properly regulate inter-religious and intercultural relations in Azerbaijan. Our example is examined. It is no coincidence that today’s Azerbaijan is one of the world centers in this area. Our international credibility is extremely high. Azerbaijan is enjoying great respect, sympathy, as well as the trust of the world. Otherwise, the vast majority of the international community would not support us," Ilham Aliyev said, recalling as confirmation of his words about the major international events in Azerbaijan.
Over the past two weeks, the Nizami Ganjavi International Forum and the annual meeting of the heads of the Asian Development Bank was held in Baku. The first event was attended by representatives of more than 60 countries. Among them were many current and former heads of state and government, mainly from Europe. A few days afterwards, the annual meeting of the heads of the Asian Development Bank took place in Baku. Also present were the most high-ranking officials from almost 70 countries. "During my many meetings at the time of these events, each of the officials expressed their great admiration and at the same time surprise: "We did not know that Azerbaijan is such a developed country, and did not know that Azerbaijan is a rich country and its capital is so beautiful." Each of them noted it. ‘‘This is today’s Azerbaijan,’’ Ilham Aliyev said. Our guests often ask about the secret of such a rapid development. The country is constantly developing, we feel the atmosphere of safety, people are smiling. What is the secret? There are many reasons. But the main one is unity among the people and the authorities. Neither energy resources, nor fund reserves, nor an army will provide this.
Azerbaijan is to host the First European Games in June and the Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017. This is an indicator that reflects the uniqueness of the country, located between Europe and Asia. "The geographical position could bring us misfortunes and tragedies. But as a result of a deliberate, courageous and verified foreign policy, today we use this advantageous opportunity as a positive factor. We turn it into a positive factor,’’ Ilham Aliyev said, noting that not everybody supports the rapid development of Azerbaijan: "Three years ago, when we hosted Eurovision, a lot of dirty campaigns, blackmails and slanders were conducted against Azerbaijan. But it did not matter. And it does not matter now. The thousands of athletes who are to arrive in Baku, their delegations will see what the Azerbaijanian authorities achieved in the period of independence, how the people of Azerbaijan live here."
