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By Trend

May 10 marks the 99th birthday of Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev, Trend reports.

Western analysts shared their opinions on Heydar Aliyev's role in the history of Azerbaijan and his achievements, which formed the foundation for the rapid economic development of the country.

Senior Policy Analyst at the European Policy Centre Amanda Paul reminded that Heydar Aliyev ensured signing of “Contract of the century”, which changed course of Azerbaijan’s history.

According to Paul, Heydar Aliyev was very savvy in Azerbaijan’s energy strategy, and thanks to him, the “Contract of the century” was signed, which was a historic triumph.

She noted that it was a strategic agreement which changed the course of the nation’s history.

“International energy giants came to Azerbaijan which led to the construction of multiple international oil and gas pipelines,” the analyst noted. “The subsequent inflow of large financial resources allowed Azerbaijan to develop its economy. Today Azerbaijan is viewed as an important and reliable energy supplier.”

According to her, the strong and wise leadership of Heydar Aliyev opened the way for Azerbaijan to ensure its independence and prosperity and to enhance its geopolitical role in the region.

"Heydar Aliyev pursued a very pragmatic foreign policy, developing good ties with the West and building a strong, modern army. This policy continued by President Ilham Aliyev played a crucial part in Azerbaijan liberating its territories [from Armenian occupation in the 2020 second Karabakh war]," Amanda Paul said.

Former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan Robert Cekuta, in turn, stressed that President Heydar Aliyev played a crucial role in charting a course for modern Azerbaijan, for helping it keep and strengthen its independence and sovereignty, and for formulating the country’s foreign policy.

According to Cekuta, energy - developing first Azerbaijan’s oil and later natural gas deposits and the pipelines to get those resources out to the world - was an important component of Heydar Aliyev’s policies.

It was also one of the major factors in the US relations with Azerbaijan. Moreover, the precedents created by the engagement of Heydar Aliyev with energy companies and financial institutions also established a basis for Azerbaijan’s dealings with other companies and institutions and so further helped build the country’s overall prosperity and security,” the ex-ambassador said.

“All of this is important for enabling Azerbaijan to address today’s challenges and to choose its future way forward,” he added.

According to Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council Ariel Cohen, the world should be grateful to Heydar Aliyev for his energy policy.

Together with the former Presidents of Georgia and the US Eduard Shevardnadze and Bill Clinton, as well as BP’s head John Brown, Heydar Aliyev ensured development and implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline project, and today, on the basis of this successful energy policy, the Southern Gas Corridor project has also become a reality, Cohen said.

Heydar Aliyev proposed concept of secular, open, independent and prosperous Azerbaijan, he said.

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