TODAY.AZ / Politics

Progress achieved under Heydar Aliyev paved way for liberation of occupied lands – Sobhani

10 May 2021 [10:59] - TODAY.AZ

By Trend

Economic and financial progress achieved under Azerbaijan’s national leader Heydar Aliyev paved way for liberation of the occupied lands in 2020 under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the US expert, CEO of Caspian Group Holdings Rob Sobhani told Trend.

"President Heydar Aliyev's central theme when it came to foreign policy was to preserve Azerbaijan's hard-fought independence at all costs. This was his top priority and he achieved this goal successfully by having good, normal and mutually beneficial relations with global powers such as the U.S. and Russia. At a time when regional geo-political trends were not in Azerbaijan's favor as it faced the occupation of its territories by Armenia, President Heydar Aliyev's wisdom to try and resolve the conflict with Armenia peacefully was a major foreign policy achievement. This allowed for Azerbaijan to achieve the economic and financial progress it needed to eventually liberate these territories in 2020 under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev," said Sobhani.

He pointed out that another very important achievement of President Heydar Aliyev was his success at attracting foreign direct investment into Azerbaijan.

"This was and remains a major legacy of Heydar Aliyev because by opening Azerbaijan's doors to foreign investment, he laid the foundations for reducing poverty and creating economic prosperity for all Azerbaijanis," noted Sobhani.

Sharing his memories about Heydar Aliyev, he recalled his first visit to Washington, DC in 1997 and the pride he had in representing an independent Azerbaijan.

"During his meetings with former President Bill Clinton at the White House and other senior American officials President Aliyev emphasized the independence of Azerbaijan. I remember when he gave a talk at my own university, Georgetown, he was so happy and shared many stories with students and faculty. Another memory I have about President Heydar Aliyev is when he visited the city of Chicago. As we took a boat tour on the river he looked at the beautiful tall buildings and made a comment I will never forget: "We the people of Azerbaijan, will also achieve this magnificent progress soon"," said Sobhani.

He pointed out that Heydar Aliyev is referred to as the father of modern Azerbaijan. "He laid the lasting foundation for an independent, free, culturally diverse and economically advanced country that is today a major player on the global stage."

URL: http://www.today.az/news/politics/205816.html

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