Azer Pasa Nemet: "Azerbaijan is an open state"

Today Azerbaijan held a referendum on the introduction of amendments and additions to the Constitution. The director of the Azerbaijan State Academic National Drama Theatre, People's Artist, chairman of the Union of Theatrical Figures of the republic, Professor Azer Pasa Nemet, told Vestnik Kavkaza about the referendum, reforms, Azerbaijani youth and theater.

- In your estimation, how important are the amendments and additions to the Constitution for Azerbaijan?

- Knowing our president, seeing what he is doing for the state, it can be said that the referendum is aimed at improving the lives of people, in order to support the statehood. I am sure that tomorrow our life will be even better. And in this moment I think of the young people living in Azerbaijan more than of myself. We have more young people than older ones: 73% of young people and others are old. This referendum is for them in order to make our future a thriving one. Our country has proven a lot, even after going through the terrible war, which is not over yet. Maybe some of our neighbors did not share the prosperity of Azerbaijan, but our country successfully follows the road set by Heydar Aliyev. Oil is not our only treasure. Azerbaijan is an ancient country. We have culture, music and movies and sports. At every Olympics our athletes achieve great success. UNESCO recognizes many of our objects as world heritage sites. In many respects, Mehriban Aliyeva has contributed to it. The people love the President and the First Lady, they trust this family. Now, I hope that people will know more things about Azerbaijan, will love and appreciate it much more.

- One of the constitutional changes is about the age requirement to be elected to the parliament. Do you think this is right?

- Yes. I am not young anymore, but I remember my youth. I lived in the Soviet Union, and even though I was not a member of the Komsomol, I tried to participate in youth affairs. But there were always obstacles. And now all roads are open to the youth — go, prove that you are talented, knowledgeable, understanding. Now there is nanotechnology, there are so many new industries to realize one's potential. Azerbaijan is an open state. I am proud that Azerbaijan also helps other countries. We are helping to open schools in Afghanistan and Pakistan. A prosperous Azerbaijan is my dream. I would like to see my country in 100, 200, 300 years very much, although I know that this is impossible. But if we do not turn back this way, we will achieve much.

- Today's youth was not born in the era of Soviet values. Does the new Parliament meet the demands of the times?

- I love our young people, because I closely communicate with them. There are two young directors in my theater. One is 25 years old, the other is 29 years old. They are very competent guys, very interesting, I ask them for advice and get very interesting results. They know the world, technology, the Internet. Previously, if I wanted to know or hear something, I looked for some books and could not find them, I could only dream about going on tour with the theater. And now young people can see all the performances, directors, read interviews with them, read books through the Internet. There are many more opportunities. But the 21st century is complicated. There will be a lot of eruptions. And the main force is youth, of course. It has always been this way — students carried out coups, started revolutions. Thank God, we do not need coups. But we need development. Our young specialists graduate from Harvard, the University of Michigan, the Paris-Sorbonne University, English or Russian universities, and then return home and continue their work. These are young people who know languages, different cultures, they are people of the 21st century. These young people will achieve much.

- What is your attitude to the institution of the vice-presidency, which will be introduced after the referendum?

- Apparently, there is a need. I trust President Ilham Aliyev very much. If he considers that it is necessary, then it is.

- Expanded presidential powers, ability to dissolve the parliament, extending the president’s term in office to seven years — how will it allow the President to carry out reforms?

- I do not see anything bad here. I hope for reforms in the fields of education, medicine, culture, agriculture, engineering and the military-industrial complex.

- Is it possible to get away from this Soviet inertia as a result of reforms? It is no secret that the population is inactive in some areas, waiting for the creation of collective and state farms, mobilizing their work.

- The concept of collective farming was discredited here. What's wrong with a collective farm? If you as a businessman can lead your farm alone, it is one thing, but if a few people unite, what's wrong? It is also a manifestation of flexibility, a modern approach. I'm going to put on a play, which was written in the 1930s. Its main character Almaz came to work as a teacher in a collective farm, and she has to overcome many difficulties. Difficulties in those days were caused by a lack of consensus. But today I believe that both things should have the right to life. We need to develop our agriculture. Someone rents the land, someone takes a bank loan to set up vineyards and sow wheat.

- How will future changes be reflected in the Azerbaijani theater?

- There have already been several important presidential decrees on theater and youth. Much has been done since 2009. All the theaters have been repaired. There is only the Opera House left, which will also be repaired. And theaters received new technology. If previously you had to scream, supervising the work of lighting designers and sound engineers, now they sit next to you and do everything using a computer. But we want to go even further. I do not want to work with old floodlights anymore, I know that there are LED spotlights. I hope they will be here in Baku. My whole technical staff works perfectly, knows all the new items. They travel, being trained in different countries. Now they have disciples, followers themselves. All of this is real, it is just necessary to work for the good.