GREAT AZERBAIJANIS

31 December is not only New Year's Eve, but also World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day. On New Year's Eve 1989, thousands of Azerbaijanis living in the Naxcivan Autonomous Republic spontaneously broke into the territory of neighbouring Iran to celebrate the New Year with their ethnic brethren living in Iran. Since then, 31 December has been celebrated as World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day, and this is not just symbolism. More than 29 million Azerbaijanis live beyond our borders - in the Islamic Republic of Iran, Turkey, the CIS countries, Germany, France, Great Britain, Scandinavia, the USA and the Middle East.

In 2000, President Heydar Aliyev made an appeal to convene a Congress of World Azerbaijanis in the first three years of the new century. This project was included in the general presidential plan to celebrate the new 21st century and the third millennium. Heydar Aliyev called on Azerbaijanis to rally around independent Azerbaijan and to do everything possible for its stability and prosperity.

Twenty-one years ago, when the spontaneous dismantling of fortifications on the Azerbaijani sector of the Soviet-Iranian border began, the opposition press of the time likened the event to the fall of the Berlin Wall. And it was this day of fraternization between Azerbaijanis on both sides of the Araz River that gave Moscow cause for military intervention. On the same day, 31 December 1989, the first ever World Congress of Azerbaijanis opened in Istanbul. In those days, this event was virtually ignored by official propaganda and was covered only by the opposition press. However, these two events served as reasons to proclaim 31 December World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day.

And today, more than ever, we must remember who and what unites us, remember our roots and our great history, created and written by Azerbaijanis who glorified our country far beyond the borders of our homeland and those who were born in Azerbaijan. It is enough to list a few of the great people who made invaluable contributions to the development of Azerbaijani culture and science to re-establish the greatness of the talented people of Azerbaijan. Of course, it is impossible to mention all names in one article, but we will try to name at least those who introduced Azerbaijan to the world.