Novruz Mammadov: Contract of Century became important guarantee of state independence

By Trend

The global "Contract of the Century" project once again demonstrated to the whole world the desire of Azerbaijan as a sovereign state to become the master of its natural resources, protect its national, economic and strategic interests and has become an important guarantee of state independence, Prime Minister of Azerbaijan Novruz Mammadov tweeted on the 25th anniversary of the Contract of the Century, Trend reports.

"The contract, signed 25 years ago between independent Azerbaijan and the world's leading oil companies, was named the Contract of the Century precisely because of its historical, political and international significance," Mammadov noted.

"The Contract of the Century was a great contribution and guarantee of the newly-independent young Azerbaijani state in eternity, stability of statehood, continued development, international cooperation, global and regional security of the republic under the leadership of the national leader Heydar Aliyev. The political and diplomatic professionalism of the great leader Heydar Aliyev, his powerful will as a person and a strong leader, played a decisive role in the fulfillment of this historical event," he added.

"The great leader was able to convince the world that independent Azerbaijan was ready for strategic cooperation. Thanks to the great leader, using the opportunities of this strategic cooperation, the young state received great chance to ensure the further development of the economy. This contract laid the foundation of the oil strategy of the independent state," the prime minister wrote.

He emphasized that independent Azerbaijan, which initiated the contract, has contributed to international cooperation and regional security.

According to Novruz Mammadov, the 25-year-old successful cooperation once again showed that the Azerbaijani people, who created the first democratic republic 100 years ago in the East, first granted women the right to vote, created unique cultural samples, are a reliable partner and the continuation of joint implementation of this project of global importance with partners is necessary.

He noted that due to the political foresight of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, the term of this contract, which brought exceptional success to the country, was extended until the middle of the 21st century.

"In the 25 years that have passed since the signing of the Contract of the Century, Azerbaijan and its oil and gas industry have passed a development path equal to a century. I am sure that independent Azerbaijan will worthily continue this path!" he added.