"Azerbaijan Democratic Republic becomes example of state building for modern Azerbaijan"

Modern Azerbaijan builds its life on the basis of the values laid down 100 years ago by the Azerbaijani Democratic Republic, head of the expert council of Baku Network Elkhan Alasgarov said, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza.

"It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, because it was the experience of forming the state and the state vision ." A huge mass of people of various ethnic and religious groups found the ability to live in a single state, move it forward, develop its economy, industry - and it was very important for our history. After the First World War there were a lot of displaced persons and refugees, there was no single economic system - the Transcaucasian Democratic Federative Republic was first created, and then separate republics of Azerbaijan, Georgia and Armenia were formed," he recalled.

"Modern Azerbaijan has the same flag and the same ideals as the ADR had, we are building the republic on the basis of the system that was laid down in 1918. We are proud that the woman got the right to vote in Azerbaijan earlier than in many European countries and the US. We are proud that our first university, the Baku State University, was established. ADR gives us an example in all spheres of state building, and we constantly turn to its democratic experience," Elkhan Alasgarov stressed.

The head of the expert council of Baku Network drew attention to the fact that modern Azerbaijan strives to do everything possible to preserve and develop the achievements of ADR. "Despite the fact that 20% of our territory was occupied during the period when we restored independence, modern Azerbaijan is the leading economic country in the Caucasus, the country that initiates geopolitical and geo-economic initiatives, including transport corridors and oil and gas projects. Today Azerbaijan is a universally recognized within its borders UN member-state," the political scientist noted.

"We have done much to strengthen the statehood inherited from the ADR. Both state structures, our economic and political systems are much stronger than before. Azerbaijan is a multiethnic and multi-confessional country, one of the key elements of its culture is multiculturalism, as well as a state striving to have good-neighborly relations with its neighbors and confidently preserving its sovereignty," Elkhan Alasgarov concluded.