TODAY.AZ / Politics

Ilham Aliyev: true politician and pragmatic leader

24 December 2015 [00:35] - TODAY.AZ
/By AzerNews/

By Sara Rajabova

A true leader has the confidence to stand alone, the courage to make tough decisions, and the compassion to listen to the needs of others -- Douglas MacArthur

December 24 marks the birthday of President Ilham Aliyev, a true leader whose name is related to the modern development history of Azerbaijan.

More precisely, the era that could be called "Azerbaijani miracle".

The era of Ilham Aliyev leadership of the country - from 2003 to the present day- has entered into the history of Azerbaijan as a period of comprehensive and rapid development.

President Aliyev took huge responsibility on his shoulder in his young ages, but could become one of few young and successful leaders in the world.

Taking the governance over his father - founder of modern Azerbaijan, great leader Heydar Aliyev, he has managed to turn Azerbaijan into a country, which steps among the world's leading countries in terms of economic development.

As a result of his successful domestic and foreign policies and future-oriented strategies, Azerbaijan has moved forward in the path of development over a short period of time.

President Aliyev’s farsighted policy bore its results as Azerbaijan's economic and military potential has significantly strengthened and improved, and living standards of the people significantly rose over 10 years.

The head of state works very openly and evidence of changes, that occurred in the life of Azerbaijan in recent years, are visible and obvious even without sophisticated statistical and economic studies.

There is saying that to do great things is difficult; but to command great things is more difficult.
Over the past ten years, the GDP increased by 3.4 times, the non-oil sector by 2.6 times, budget revenues by 16 times and the volume of strategic currency reserves exceeded $50 billion. During these years, more than one million new jobs have been created in the country. Poverty and unemployment rate, which was 49 percent not long ago, has now declined to 5 percent.

Azerbaijan's economy continues to consistently demonstrate its resilience to different external threats and not to reduce the dynamics of its development under the circumstances.

This fact received international recognition when Azerbaijan was presented as one of the states with the most stable economies during the international forum in Davos in January 2015.

Moreover, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects that the rate of Azerbaijan's 2015 GDP growth will be the highest among the countries of Eastern Europe and the South Caucasus.

In its recent report, EBRD forecasted economic growth of Azerbaijan for 2015 and 2016 to 3 percent and 2.5 percent, respectively.

The World Bank also predicted 2 percent growth in Azerbaijan's economy in 2015. In the meantime, the International Monetary Fund has maintained its forecast for economic growth at 2.5 percent for 2016.

The country also witnessed the extensive construction works in recent years. The enormous construction is obvious in the other cities of Azerbaijan besides the capital Baku.

Development strategy of Azerbaijan, implemented under the leadership of Ilham Aliyev, is aimed not only at economic growth and political stability, but also increasing the human capital and improving social structures.

The reforms carried out in the country over the past years by President Aliyev, diversification of the country's economy, social policy, oil strategy, and proper use of budget revenues, all served to rapid growth of the country.

Ilham Aliyev took an active part in implementation of oil strategy designed by Heydar Aliyev.

Under the pragmatic leadership of President Aliyev, Azerbaijan became a country-initiator. The Trans-Anatolian and Trans-Adriatic pipeline projects - the world's largest energy projects -are the brainchildren of Ilham Aliyev, which can change the energy map of the region and Europe.

Moreover, thanks to the policy pursued by the head of state, Azerbaijan is becoming an important logistics center. Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway project is one of the examples of it.

President Aliyev had made great contributions to the largest transit project Baku- Tbilisi- Ceyhan pipeline, which was successfully commissioned transporting Caspian oil to foreign markets.

Energy policy pursued by President Aliyev paved the way for transforming and diversifying Azerbaijani economy.

The country has recently made great efforts to develop the alternative energy sector and non-oil field. The development of these areas is under strict control of President Aliyev. Currently, the share of non-oil sector in the national economy is about 60 percent.

As a result of proper use of natural resources, Azerbaijan has become a donor country and now finances many projects on its own. The country implements different projects in foreign countries, for example in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Rational use of the oil and gas revenues, created grounds for strengthening the Army build up. As a result of the continuous attention to the military, the military budget has significantly increased. The Azerbaijani Army became the most powerful army in the region.

Since coming to the power, President Aliyev stated that he aims to turn the oil and gas revenues to the human capital. As a result of this strategy, significant improvement is observed in country's education sector. New educational institutions were created and the number of the students sent abroad for study is rising each year.

President Aliyev attaches great attention to the youth of the country, which comprise 30 percent of the population. The youth is actively involved in the implementation of the state policy.

Under leadership of Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan is modernizing its education, reforming its judiciary, infrastructure, agriculture, while the newly created space industry is successfully developing.

Azerbaijan has also become one of the most visited venues in the world. The country hosted big international events concerning different spheres in recent years. The successful hosting of the First European Olympic Games is one of the bright examples of it.

It is worth to note that Azerbaijan is making significant economic progress in a time when the country’s 20 percent of lands is still under Armenian occupation.

In the meantime, Armenia conducting an aggressive expansionist policy, has remained on the sidelines of economic development, depriving itself from the opportunity to participate in major projects. Despite the miserable situation in the country, the occupant country still continues to pursue its traditional policy of aggression.

However, President Aliyev is strongly determined to achieve restoration of country’s territorial integrity. He has repeatedly stated that Azerbaijan supports peaceful resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. He warned that in case Armenia continues its aggressive policy, Azerbaijan will have to return its lands with other means.

President Aliyev's decisive and purposeful activities contribute to expose to the world the aggressive position of Armenian invaders violating the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

In the quickly changing modern world, he has successfully represented the interests of Azerbaijan at various international meetings and high level negotiations.

President Aliyev carries out wise internal reforms and implements purposeful foreign policies aimed at turning Azerbaijan into a leading country across the South Caucasus.

The staff of the AzerNews newspaper sincerely congratulates President Aliyev on his birthday.
URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/146253.html

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