PRESIDENT OF AZERBAIJAN: "THERE ARE POWERS THAT TRY TO MAKE AZERBAIJAN CONCEDE BY USING MECHANISMS OF PRESSURE, AMONG WHICH THERE ARE STATEMENTS ABOUT EXISTENCE OF PROBLEMS IN THE DEMOCRATIC DEVELOPMENT OF AZERBAIJAN"
Today.Az
29 May 2008 [11:17]
President Ilham Aliyev attended a solemn ceremony dedicated to the 90th
anniversary of the founding of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic,
Tuesday, at the Gulustan palace in Baku. The President and the First
Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were warmly welcomed here by audience.
President Ilham Aliyev made a speech at the event.
"The establishment of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was the event
of historical significance – it was first ever democracy in the East
and in the Muslim world" the President said.
"The first republic existed for a short time – two years later,
the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic declined for both objective
and subjective reasons. It proves that it is much easier to get
independence than to preserve it" he said.
The President recalled that "this bitter story could repeat itself
in early 1990s, but the situation started to stabilize after Heydar
Aliyev returned to power in Azerbaijan".
"It was under the great leader that in 1993, the people of Azerbaijan
managed to put an end to the economic, political, and military crisis,
and Azerbaijan entered the period of development, and embarked on
the course of democracy and market economy", he said.
The President went on to say that the radical political and economic
reforms helped the country to get much stronger. He pointed out that
the "Contract of the Century" signed in 1994 as a result of Heydar
Aliyev’s oil strategy, is what even today ensures prosperity and
independence of Azerbaijan.
"Today, Azerbaijan is strengthening its position in the world. All
our efforts – from both political and economic standpoint – are
targeted at strengthening of the country. Thanks to this policy,
we have stability and socio-political order fully established in
Azerbaijan," the Azerbaijani leader said.
President Aliyev underlined that the only serious problem the
country is facing is the unresolved conflict with Armenia over
Nagorno-Karabakh.
"You are aware of my position. I repeatedly voiced my opinion on
this issue.
The problem can be resolved only within the borders of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity. The reason for the long protraction of the
problem is probably that Azerbaijan does not go back a step from its
principled position," he said.
"There are powers that try to make Azerbaijan concede by
using mechanisms of pressure, among which there are statements
about existence of provlems in the democratic development of
Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani people are well aware of the purpose and aim
of these proposal. But any pressure on Azerbaijan, its leadership
and its people is absolutely senseless, as our policy is open, it
is supported by people, it is a principal and just policy", noted
the President adding "I think in the coming months, and in 2009,
we will be more concrete in expressing our thoughts with respect
to resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, because further
protraction is unacceptable."
"The first Democratic Republic existed for two years. Today’s
independent state of Azerbaijan is almost seventeen years old and
will live forever," concluded the President of Azerbaijan.