LEADER – UNION OF THE PEOPLE: OUR WORD IS OUR SIGNATURE!

20 years: a marathon of successful diplomacy

During his 20-year presidency, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, successfully implemented an independent, multifaceted foreign policy course that ensured the comprehensive and dynamic development of Azerbaijan, despite the complex destructive processes taking place all over the world and in the region. The head of the country fulfilled the promise he solemnly made to the people 20 years ago and implemented the program of turning our republic into the most developed country in the region.

Azerbaijan is currently taking consistent and systematic steps towards ensuring regional security with its purposeful and national interest-based foreign policy. Energy projects implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, cooperation formats serving regional integration play an important role in the realization of stability and peace in the South Caucasus. At the same time, Azerbaijan actively supports the peace-building process in the world, brings today's important proposals and initiatives to the attention of the international world, and makes valuable contributions to the strengthening of regional security. All this serves to strengthen the position of our country in the world community.

It is impossible not to remember a point that once again confirms President Ilham Aliyev's independent and successful foreign policy. In January 2020, the leader of Azerbaijan, who participated in the panel meeting held within the framework of the World Economic Forum, said that the moderator said, "There are now big forces in Eurasia, Russia on one side, and China on the other. As the President of Azerbaijan, who will you call first - Moscow or Beijing?" to the question, the head of state answers "Bakuya". These words of President Ilham Aliyev are a bright expression of Azerbaijan's independent policy based on national interests, independent of any country.

A CELEBRATION OF INDEPENDENT AND CONSIDERED POLICY

During the last 20 years, Azerbaijan has always put forward national interests. Each strategically important project in the region was implemented with the consent of our republic. The successful implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil, Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipelines, TANAP, TAP and other projects initiated by Azerbaijan has recognized our country as a state with a unique economic model in the global economy.

At the same time, those projects played an important role in ensuring the continent's energy security as a reliable partner of the European security architecture of our country. In short, Azerbaijan's energy diplomacy served regional security, international cooperation and national interests. With this, Azerbaijan gained the opportunity to influence the processes taking place in the region, as well as internationally.

Known as a reliable and influential partner in the modern system of international relations, Azerbaijan also acts as the economic, political and humanitarian center of the region:

- In 2015, for the first time in history, the I European Games were held in our country;

- By hosting the IV Islamic Solidarity Games in 2017, Azerbaijan played the role of a unique bridge between cultures and made a great contribution to reconciliation and dialogue between civilizations through sports;

- On October 15, 2019, the VII Summit of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States was held in Baku, and the chairmanship of the organization was entrusted to Azerbaijan;

- On October 25-26, 2019, the XVIII Summit meeting of the heads of state and government of the countries that are members of the Non-Aligned Movement was held in Baku, and Azerbaijan was given the right to chair this huge international body, in which 2/3 of the UN member states are represented, for a period of 3 years ;

- on November 14 of the same year, the capital of Azerbaijan hosted the II Baku Summit of world religious leaders;

- On October 25, 2019, at the General Assembly of the International Astronautical Federation in Washington, the capital of the United States, Azerbaijan won the right to host the International Astronautical Congress in 2022, and this assembly was held with great success.

"KARABAGH IS AZERBAIJAN AND AN EXCLAMATION MARK!"

President Ilham Aliyev has honorably fulfilled the sacred duty of clearing our lands from the enemy for 20 years. The head of state has continuously exposed Armenia's policy of extortion at important international events and declared that the aggressor is pursuing a policy based on the fascist ideology and that terrorism is supported at the state level. As a result of the efforts of the head of the country, the documents adopted by the UN Security Council, the European Union, the Council of Europe, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, the Organization of Turkic-Speaking States, the Non-Aligned Movement and other international organizations related to the resolution of the conflict have created an appropriate legal basis for the liberation of Karabakh. This diplomacy was one of the main factors determining the brilliant victory of Azerbaijan in the Patriotic War. For almost 30 years, the policy pursued by Armenia regarding the resolution of the conflict, the position it took, did not reflect the historical realities and the true nature of the conflict.

This was stated by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, on October 3, 2019, at the XVI annual meeting of the "Valday" International Discussion Club in Sochi, Russia, and at the limited session of the Council of Heads of State of the CIS on October 11, 2019, in Ashgabat, on October 25-26. He proved it with solid facts during his speeches at the 18th Summit meeting of his movement in Baku. On February 15, 2020, during the panel discussions on the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict within the framework of the Munich Security Conference, as well as on June 18, at the Summit of the Eastern Partnership countries in the format of a video conference, Armenia's policy of aggression, its ethnic cleansing against Azerbaijan, and continuous state terrorism were discussed. and exposing the propaganda of national hatred, President Ilham Aliyev taught the prime minister of the aggressor country a real lesson in international law and history.

STRONG AND MODERN ARMY BUILDING

During the past 20 years, the Commander-in-Chief, President Ilham Aliyev has focused on building an army, strengthening the country's defense capabilities and national security. For this reason, the provision of our armed forces with modern military equipment and ammunition, the creation of necessary military infrastructure for the purpose of ensuring security, and the implementation of measures aimed at improving the social, household and service conditions of servicemen have always been kept in mind.

In general:

- Military spending has increased more than 15 times in the period after 2023;

- the army was equipped with the most modern weapons and equipment, more than 20 military factories were created, the production of 1,200 different military products was started;

- the carried out reforms created a basis for strengthening the combat and moral-psychological training of our army;

- the service and living conditions of servicemen have been substantially improved.

All this resulted in our armed forces becoming one of the most powerful armies in the world. This power destroyed the myth of Armenia's "mighty army" in the Patriotic War with one powerful attack and brought the enemy to its knees.

President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the true heroism and bravery of Azerbaijani soldiers and officers in the Patriotic War and said: "In the 21st century, no army has shown as much professional

As a result, the Second Karabakh War was written in the history of Azerbaijan as an annal of honor and heroism in the last hundred years. Today, our tricolor holy flag is proudly flying in all the liberated territories of our republic - Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, Kalbajar, Lachin, Aghdam, Shusha, Khojavand, Hadrut, Aghdara, Khojaly and Khankendi.

KARABAKH AND EASTERN ZANGAZUR ARE PROGRESSING

During the past period, funds up to 12 billion manats from the state budget were directed to the restoration of territories freed from occupation, important road transport, energy supply and other infrastructure projects were implemented, and the foundations of dozens of settlements were laid.

1,276 families or 5,042 people have already been settled in a number of cities, villages and towns. By 2026, 34,500 families will have a decent life in their native lands.

After the war, numerous projects related to the reconstruction of road infrastructure were implemented in Karabakh and East Zangezur. A 1,200-kilometer dirt road has been built along the state border. During the last 3 years, the 101.5-kilometer Zafar road, Shukurbeyli-Jabrayil, Barda-Aghdam, Tartar-Suguvushan-Talish (1st stage), as well as an alternative road without entering the city of Lachin, were put into use in the territories freed from occupation.

The thought-out perfect foreign policy line and flexible, balanced diplomacy conducted by the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev in the last 20 years have created favorable conditions for the successful implementation of the tasks facing our independent state. This policy has turned our independent state into an authoritative speaker. As the head of state said, our word is as valid as our signature.

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