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By Vafa Guliyeva

“I have always been proud and today I am proud that I am Azerbaijani,” a world-renowned statesman, the founder and architect of the independent Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev said in one of his speeches which has become an aphorism among the people of Azerbaijan.

The man who loved his country and people more than this life, national leader of the Azerbaijani people Heydar Aliyev, lives in the heart of everybody.

There are leaders who go down in history and remain there. And there are leaders who create national history. Heydar Aliyev was a leader who created the modern history of Azerbaijan. History remembers him as a true legend of his time, a strong head of state and a devoted and unique figure able to take on difficult historical task of state building.

2023 marks centennial of national leader of Azerbaijan – Heydar Aliyev. On this occasion under the Order of the President of the country, Ilham Aliyev, this year was declared the “Year of Heydar Aliyev” in the country.

National Leader Heydar Aliyev was an outstanding statesman and a world scale politician.

35-year-old history of Azerbaijan covering the period from the late 1960s to the beginning of the 21st century, is directly connected with the name of Heydar Aliyev. His political flair and priceless human qualities enabled the young state to stand on its feet and successfully enter the twenty-first century as an independent country. Under his leadership, he took responsibility for his country, brought together like-minded people and together with them, coped with severe and serious obstacles, created a strong and independent state – modern Azerbaijan.

Under his leadership, Azerbaijan achieved a great success in economy and became the forefront on an all-Union scale. Over these years, the industrial potential of Azerbaijan has more than doubled.

When the large contingent of troops forcefully entered Baku and massacred lots of people on 20 January, 1990, Heydar Aliyev was first who demanded punishment for the organizers and executors of the crime committed against the Azerbaijani people.

As a result of an extreme governmental crisis in May-June, 1993, Azerbaijan was on the edge of civil war and loss of independence. The people of Azerbaijan demanded to bring Heydar Aliyev to power in the country, due to which he was elected as Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, and on October 3, 1993, became the President of the independent Azerbaijan and was re-elected to the post in 1998.

He came to power precisely at the moment when it was most needed, if not be Heydar Aliyev, there would not be a modern Azerbaijan. Not a single person neither in the country nor abroad would deny this truth. As one of the most respected and world scale politicians, the role and importance of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people is so large that his life, philosophy of administration, level of competence and influence for a very long time will be explored by biographers and historians. Heydar Aliyev’s experience has played a unique role in the life of modern Azerbaijan and over the years, it has become even more relevant and meaningful.

With Heydar Aliyev’s return to the leadership of Azerbaijan in 1993, a deep-rooted transformation started in political, social, economic, scientific and cultural life of the country, as well as in foreign affairs of Azerbaijan and development of an independent state-building in accordance with international norms and principles.

Heydar Aliyev was a pragmatic politician. His political and managing principles were far from the romanticism and dreaminess. The decisions he took might seem unusual at first sight, but in the end, considering all the reality and correctness, are the most optimal and balanced.

With the return of national leader Haydar Aliyev to the leadership of Azerbaijan, a turning point occurred in the socio-political, socio-economic, scientific and cultural life of the country, as well as in international relations. As a result of the urgent measures taken by the national leader, important steps were taken to form the National Army, establish a regular armed force capable of protecting the national interests of Azerbaijan, and defend the lands. The decisive measures taken by Haydar Aliyev to prevent the economic decline, civil war, Armenia's policy of aggression against Azerbaijan, restore the traditions of statehood and stability in the first years of independence soon began to be felt in the lives of every citizen.

Since 1993, as a result of the visionary policies and hard work of Heydar Aliyev, the country started to achieve accomplishments in its economic and social development and have obtained great results in terms of integration into the world economy. The biggest achievement at that end was the creation of a new model of economic reforms and development – the model of Azerbaijan.

In 1994, declaration of the ceasefire between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signing of the “Contract of the century”, adoption of the Constitution in 1995, restoration of the ancient Silk Road connecting East and West and implementation of other important works were achieved. As a result of the thoughtful and wise policy of the great leader, the Azerbaijani economy developed in a short time.

As the architect of the new energy strategy of Azerbaijan, national leader Heydar Aliyev was the author of very crucial political decisions in the 1990’s that had great importance in shaping energy policy of the country and simultaneously demonstrated the readiness of the Republic to contribute to the energy security of Europe. Accordingly, the "contract of the century" was signed on September 20, 1994, which went down in history as one of the greatest and most significant events of the 20th century. The most important prerequisites for this event were the importance of oil and gas resources of the Caspian basin, including Azerbaijan’s water area which was rich in hydrocarbon resources. Heydar Aliyev managed to diplomatically eliminate discrepancies around the signing of the contract.

Over the 10 years of his presidency, Heydar Aliyev has undertaken radical reforms in Azerbaijan and transformed the ruins of the almost devastated country into a viable state. Heydar Aliyev’s multifaceted policy became the state strategy that brought about prosperity and stability in the country. He came to power applying a pragmatic and balanced foreign policy, which helped to build constructive relationships with China, USA, EU and wise partnerships with the closest neighbors – Turkiye, Russia and Iran.

The Republic of Azerbaijan attained a status of a credible, democratic, legal and secular state in the world in a short period of time. Under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev, the foreign policy of Azerbaijan, as well as its relations with leading states of the world and international organizations has started to develop the course based on national interests and far-sighted political perspective.

The name of Heydar Aliyev will always live in the hearts of people and future generations. The chronicle of the life of this excellent man is to be read, studied and promoted, because the life of Heydar Aliyev is the history of Azerbaijan that we are living.

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