Azerbaijan marks Heydar Aliyev's birthday

Officials, members of government, representatives of the diplomatic corpse accredited in Azerbaijan have been visiting his grave in the Honor Alley since morning.

President Ilham Aliyev and his family also visited Heydar Aliyev's tomb. Flower festival is organized in the National Park on this occasion, APA reports.

Heydar Alirza oglu Aliyev was born on 10 May 1923 in the city of Nakhchivan of Azerbaijan. In 1939, after graduating from the Nakhchivan Pedagogical School, he studied at the architectural department of the Azerbaijan Industrial Institute (now the Azerbaijan State Oil Academy). Since 1941, Heydar Aliyev was the head of the department at the People Commissariat of Internal Affairs and People’s Commissariat of Soviet of Nakhchivan ASSR and in 1944 he was sent to work at the state security bodies. Heydar Aliyev received special higher education in Leningrad (now St Petersburg) and promoted to general.

In 1957, he graduated from the history department of Azerbaijan State University. Heydar Aliyev since 1964 held the post of deputy chairman, and since 1967 - chairman of the Committee of State Security under the Cabinet of Soviet Ministers of Azerbaijan Republic.

In 1969 he became the First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan and bureau member of the Central Committee. He also became a candidate (non-voting) member of the Soviet Politburo in 1976. In 1982, Heydar Aliyev was elected as Alternate member of Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and appointed at the post of the first deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of the USSR.

Heydar Aliyev was elected deputy to USSR Supreme Soviet three times running, and for five years he was the Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the USSR, deputy of Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic Supreme Soviet, member of Republic Supreme Soviet Presidium. He was conferred for four times with the Lenin Order, the Order of Krasnaya Zvezda and many medals, and twice Hero of Socialist Labor, was awarded by Orders and medals of many foreign states.

In October 1987, Heydar Aliyev, as a sign of protest against the policy pursued by Politburo of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union and personally by the Secretary General Michael Gorbachev, he resigned from his post. In bound with the tragedy, committed on 20 January, 1990 in Baku by the soviet troops, Heydar Aliyev appearing on the next day at the Azerbaijan Representation in Moscow with a statement, demanded to punish the organizers and executors of the crime committed against the people of Azerbaijan. As a sign of protest against the hypocritical policy of leadership of the USSR, in connection with the critical conflict occurred in Nagorno-Karabakh, in July, 1991, he left the ranks of Communist Party of the Soviet Union.

By his return in July, 1990 to Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev lived in Nakhchivan, and in the same year he was elected as the Deputy to the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan. In 1991-1993, he held the post of Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, Deputy Chairman of the Supreme Soviet (Milli Mejlis) of the Republic of Azerbaijan. On 15 June, 1993, Heydar Aliyev was elected as the Chairman of the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan, and on 24 July - on resolution of the Milli Mejlis (National Assembly), he managed to perform the powers of the President of Azerbaijan Republic. On October 3, 1993, as the result of nationwide voting, Heydar Aliyev was elected President of Azerbaijan Republic. Return of Heydar Aliyev to Azerbaijani leadership was the turning point in the socio-political economic as well as scientific-cultural life and international relations of the country. The process of building an independent state started.

Coup d'etat attempts in October 1994 and March 1995 were prevented, and socio-political stability was maintained. The country's foreign policy, as well as relations with leading states of the world and international organizations developed on the basis of national interests and purposeful political prospects.
Ceasefire was declared on the frontline in May, 1994. Contract of the century was signed in September, 1994 in Baku.

Successful steps were taken in the field of transportation of Azerbaijan's oil to world markets. Baku-Supsa pipeline was constructed and commissioned. Contract on Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan pipeline was signed and its implementation started. On Heydar Aliyev's initiative Azerbaijan played a leading role in the reconstruction of Great Silk Way - the implementation of world communication program. Heydar Aliyev also played a great role in establishing GUUAM uniting Georgia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan and Moldova and with this, uniting regional forces in a great geographical space.

By pursuing a democratic policy Heydar Aliyev laid the foundation for maintaining fundamental principles of human rights and freedoms in the country. Azerbaijan’s Constitution was adopted in November 1995. Parliamentary elections were held in 1995 and 2000, Constitutional Court was established, death penalty, censorship were abolished. Pardon institution was restored in May, 1995, thousands of prisoners were released by pardon decrees in 1995-2002 and amnesty acts. Azerbaijan got the status of special guest in the Council of Europe in June 1996 and became full member of the organization in January 25, 2001.

Heydar Aliyev was reelected president of Azerbaijan on October 11, 1998. He decreed on approving Latin alphabet, improving investigation of state language, day of Azerbaijani alphabet and Azerbaijani language in 2001.

National leader of Azerbaijani people died of long-lasting disease on December 12, 2003.