INTERVIEWS
National leader Heydar Aliyev devoted his whole life to his people
Q: On December 12, Azerbaijan commemorated its national leader Heydar Aliyev. We would like to hear your opinions about the national leader`s services to his people…
A: As head of the Azerbaijani state, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev holds an exceptional position in the centuries-old history of our statehood. Heydar Aliyev's activity, form the point of view of its significance, goes far beyond the borders of Azerbaijan. The processes, proceeding currently not only in Azerbaijan and but also in the entire post-soviet space, as well as in the world, cannot be presented without personality and activity of Heydar Aliyev. The period covering over 30 years of state building, economic rebirth, political consciousness, political life in the modern Azerbaijan, is connected with the name and practical activity of Heydar Aliyev, with an inexhaustible talent, encyclopedic knowledge, large world vision, being a historical personality, prominent politician, and concrete deals realized by him. These complicated processes were reflected in his practical activity and philosophic ideology - the philosophy of national revival.
Heydar Aliyev was a great philosopher and thinker of the present. The philosophy of Azerbaijanism, founded and developed by him, determined special role of Azerbaijan in the present world, rests in the basis of national statehood, created a firm base for solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis. The problems of national revival, which in the last century seriously worried the Azerbaijani intelligentsia, thanks to Heydar Aliyev, in these years, turned to a strategic state policy, from the science, sociology and philosophy - to a practical and political plane.
Thanks to his bright political wisdom and talent, Heydar Aliyev created a new Azerbaijan, its current realities and defined the path leading to future. Just therefore, the period of history of Azerbaijan from 1969 up to date was closely connected with the name of Heydar Aliyev and went down our history as Heydar Aliyev's epoch. The major content of this epoch, from the standpoint of further historical destiny of Azerbaijan is Azerbaijanism.
Path of Azerbaijan leading to construction of an independent state, in essence, started since 1969 - after his coming to power. In this sense, the brightest pages of Azerbaijanism were written just in these years. In the frame of the then ideology, Heydar Aliyev could - let it be even in the form not contradicting the existing system - not only prevent full oppression of the national spirit of Azerbaijan, on the contrary, make maximum use of the opportunities on the way of his raise.
Q: Can national leader Heydar Aliyev`s coming to power considered a turning point in the history of Azerbaijan?
A: The national leader`s coming to leadership of the Republic is perceived as start of the national self-consciousness, return to the origins. The major ideological-political trend of the philosophy of Heydar Aliyev management, history of which just begins from this period, contains large extent of all forms and means of the national self-expression of the people, strengthening sense of national pride and realization of quick strategy pf development, able to raise the national conscience. Since the beginning of his leadership in the Republic, it became a tradition to regularly celebrate the jubilees of the prominent personalities of Azerbaijan, that created foundation to raise national spirit, national self-conscience, closely connected with the nationwide problems of the Azerbaijani people, returning to the people its historical memory, realization of the idea of independent statehood.
The work carried out by Heydar Aliyev while leading Azerbaijan in 1969-82 released national self-consciousness from the fetters of previous ideological system and ensured boundless rising of national sprit on the base of such fundamental principles as giving historical memory back to the people, and created favorable conditions for the idea of national statehood our people had been maturing for many years to turn into the great driving force.
There was a need to find a way out of this complicated situation in the Republic whose economy had entered the phase of deep and long crisis, work out fundamentally new approaches to ensure its economic development, conduct cardinal structural reforms in the economy, apply new methods of economic management and encouragement. Heydar Aliyev was confident that the foundation of a nation's political independence is conditioned by its economic freedom.
The negative factors prevailing at those times because of lack of the national idea and leading to both economic and cultural decay were eliminated with Heydar Aliyev's coming to power. As a result of his unexhausted activity, the years 1970-1985 constituted the brightest pages in the chronicles of creation of Azerbaijan by the scale of changed occurred, character of cardinal reforms in social and economic spheres and transition to qualitatively new stage of the people's living standard.
Q: What about the national leader`s retur to power?
A: The Republic of Azerbaijan lived a complicated period of its history in the first days of independence. The desire of the Azerbaijani people to live in sovereign state, its connection to freedom ideals were against interests of enemy circles, which did not want its independence. They were using different diversions and other disgusting means for eliminating the nation from this way and destroying its belief in future. And in its turn, it was negatively affecting the socio-political situation in the republic.
The situation was made worse by internal crisis, mostly by intrigues with the then authorities of the country. There was not a single leader in the republic.
Under this circumstances the people of Azerbaijan made a historic decision to demand he return of national leader Heydar Aliyev, who then was chairman of the Supreme Majlis of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan. Heydar Aliyev was the only leader capable of saving Azerbaijan from split and collapse. So national leader Heydar Aliyev returned to Baku on June 9, and was elected chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan on June 15. The national leader used all his skills and love to his people to take the country out of chaos and save it from collapse and civil war.
National leader Heydar Aliyev was elected president of Azerbaijan of October 3, 1993. Thanks to his multifaceted activities the national leader ensured stability in the country, which embarked on the path of development. The national leader built an independent, constitutional and sovereign state. He ensured the strengthening of Azerbaijan`s international positions. And the signing of the Contract of the Century on September 20, 1994 ensured the country`s overall development.
Gradually Azerbaijan became a powerful country, having fully ensured its stability and security. Today Azerbaijan has rich energy resources, and is conducting an effective foreign policy. Azerbaijan is today considered a reliable partner on a global scale.