PRESIDENT

In an interview with our magazine a few years ago, Georgian President Mikheil Saakashvili said: "In the situation in which Azerbaijan was, it was very difficult to create a state - only outstanding leaders could do that. Frankly, I often think that, unlike Georgia, Azerbaijan was very lucky - you had Heydar Aliyev." Today, when you observe the development of Azerbaijan and hear the impressions of foreigners who visited Baku, you become convinced again of the wisdom of the Azerbaijani people who invited Heydar Aliyev to power in time.

This year marks the 88th anniversary of the birth of Azerbaijan's national leader, the last eight of which he has not been with us. For eight consecutive years, masses of people visit the Alley of Honour on 12 December to pay homage to the memory of the great politician. But, as the granddaughter of the national leader, vice-president of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and head of the Russian branch of the foundation, Leyla Aliyeva, said on a memorable evening in Moscow, he lives in every sense of the word. "He lives in prosperous Azerbaijan, in the beautiful city of Baku, new roads, buildings, sports complexes, airports, schools, museums, theatres and many other things that are being built. He lives and sees Baku become one of the most beautiful cities in the world. He lives in all good deeds, which the foundation named after him - the Heydar Aliyev Foundation - is doing in culture, science, education, health, environment and charity," she said.

The eight years that have passed since the death of the internationally recognized politician of two centuries graphically demonstrated the immortality of Heydar Aliyev's initiatives. The period 1993-2003, when the country was headed by Heydar Aliyev, became crucial for Azerbaijan and its statehood. The foundations laid in that period still allow us to confidently move the country forward, solving all the challenges it faces.

This was largely the reason for the transition of the mandate of the people's trust from Heydar Aliyev to Ilham Aliyev - the closest associate of and successor to the path of the national leader, who confidently took the reins of power at an early age for a politician.

On 24 December 2011, Ilham Aliyev turns 50. As a young politician who has a broad world outlook, deep and comprehensive knowledge and a high level of political culture, Ilham Aliyev soon gained great respect and authority in the world as a modern and flexible politician.

In the eight years of his rule, Ilham Aliyev not only continued the strategic policy of Heydar Aliyev, but was able to realize new opportunities in Azerbaijan. This is indicated by the country's leading position in nearly all international rankings and world leaders' reviews about the Azerbaijani president himself and his policy.

In the modern and rapidly changing world and in conditions of globalization, President Ilham Aliyev successfully defends the interests of the country at all international meetings and negotiations.

Thanks to the policies conducted by President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan independently solves all its problems, the most important of which is the Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict. Official Baku is committed to peaceful ways of resolving this problem. However, the head of state has repeatedly said that if the negotiations fail, Azerbaijan is ready to liberate its lands by force. Both international law and the country's economic and military power allow him to do so.

The country is developing and strengthening as an independent secular state. Guided by the principles of a democratic society, rule of law and human rights, Azerbaijan maintains close ties with the most advanced countries of Europe and the world.

The sound and successful policy allowed the country to overcome the global economic crisis with minimal losses and ensure sustainable socioeconomic development. It is no accident that at the international level, the Azerbaijani economy is regarded as the most resistant to global shocks.

The balanced and differentiated foreign policy allows Azerbaijan to build relations with the different poles of world politics equally successfully. Cooperation with our closest neighbours, as well as the European Union and Euro-Atlantic structures takes an important place in the country's foreign policy. Today, Azerbaijan is one of the major economic centres in the region and makes an important contribution to the energy security of Europe. We successfully cooperate with the European Union in the energy sector, particularly on the Southern Gas Corridor. At the beginning of the year, the EU and Azerbaijan signed a declaration on this issue and set up a working group.

This applies to both oil and gas, which will be supplied from the Sah Daniz field. Azerbaijan already has seven pipelines, which transport energy in various directions, while some countries already use Azerbaijani oil and gas by 40 per cent.

The analysis conducted by the World Economic Forum showed that Azerbaijan takes 55th place by competitiveness in the world and first place in the CIS.

Given the pace of investment growth in non-oil industries, experts say that by 2024, the country will be able to get a developed and diversified industrial complex.

As a result of the implementation of well-designed programmes, the country managed to achieve economic diversification. At present, the Azerbaijani economy comprises more than 80 per cent of the total economy of all three South Caucasus states.

In eight years, the economy grew by 300 per cent. 950,000 new jobs were created, while the poverty rate decreased by 5 times. At the same time, budget expenditure increased by about 20 times.

The initiatives put forward by Azerbaijan largely determine the directions of regional development at present. Azerbaijan has become a rapidly developing country, being on a path of transition from oil to high technology. This is evidenced by the fact that in recent years, the country has been making significant investments in information and communication technologies.

Foreign policy is an extension of domestic policy and its logical result. Azerbaijan is a self-sufficient country and an authoritative and full member of the international community today, as evidenced by the country's election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. Baku's candidacy was supported by 155 countries. This event has a symbolic meaning and shows that in the more 20 years of independence, Azerbaijan showed itself as a country friendly to the international community.

Moreover, Azerbaijan is actively known as a platform for international humanitarian and interfaith dialogue. More than 15 papers and magazines are published in the language of the ethnic communities living here, and local television and radio channels operate in five regions densely populated by national minorities.

Azerbaijan, which is called an ethnographic museum under the open sky, has joined more than 50 international conventions on human rights and protection of national minorities.

Azerbaijani culture received a second wind when the Foundation of Friends of Azerbaijani Culture and then the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, headed by First Lady of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, were established.

During the existence of these foundations, titanic work was carried out with the personal participation of Mehriban Aliyeva. This is support for cultural figures, promotion of Azerbaijani culture abroad, reconstruction of old and creation of new cultural centres, as well as many other things.

But Azerbaijan is not going to stop there. The young and energetic president has a lot of plans that are embodied in fundamental programmes and projects aimed at the future. On behalf of the whole staff of the Region Plus magazine, we can only congratulate the president of Azerbaijan on his birthday and wish him good health, happiness and many years of fruitful activity for the benefit of our country.

FIRSTHAND

"Azerbaijan's leadership in the development of the Southern Corridor in the energy sector also increased the prosperity of the region and strengthened global energy security."

US President Barack Obama

"I wanted to visit Azerbaijan to witness a number of aspects of the economic success of your country and the changes carried out in Baku under your leadership. Despite my limited time, what I saw made a great impression on me."

French President Nicolas Sarkozy

"Your service as president is rightly associated with new successes of Azerbaijan - a modern and dynamically developing state. The outstanding achievements of your country in the economic and social spheres and the steady growth of its prestige in the international arena deserve a high assessment."

Russian President Dmitriy Medvedev

"Azerbaijan is a bright star of the Caucasus. Each year, the changes here will be even more tangible. Every time I visit Baku, I see big changes here. Perhaps, those who live in Azerbaijan do not even notice that."

Turkish President Abdullah Gul

"In Europe, they say that European countries will need perhaps 100 years to achieve the results that Azerbaijan has achieved." 

Hungarian President Pal Schmitt

AZERBAIJAN'S POSITION IN PRESTIGIOUS INTERNATIONAL RATINGS (2010)

l Standard & Poors - BB+ 

l Moody's Investor Services - Ba1

l Fitch Ratings - BBB-

l Report on global competition - World competitiveness index 2011-2012:

* 55th place among 142 countries (two places higher than in the 

 previous rating);

*1st place among the CIS countries.

l World Economic Forum: 1st place in information and communications technology among the CIS countries.

l In the Report on human development of the UN Development Programme for index on human development among 182 countries Azerbaijan advanced from 101st place in 2005 to 67th in 2010