Aliyev: Azerbaijan successor of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic [UPDATE]

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

President Ilham Aliyev has said that Azerbaijan is the successor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic.

He made the remarks while addressing the nation on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of the restoration of independence on October 18.

“On 18 October 1991, Azerbaijan obtained the opportunity to gain independence for the second time in the 20th century and declared to the world that it was the successor of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic with the Constitutional Act 'On State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan',” he said.

The president underlined that for the first time in the 30-year history of independence “we are celebrating the anniversary of the restoration of our independence as a victorious nation that has restored its territorial integrity”.

Recalling the first years of independence, the president noted that Azerbaijan had faced many threats and severe tests. He stated that it was at that time when Azerbaijani lands were occupied by the Armenian armed forces and hundreds of thousands of people were expelled from their ancestral lands.

“In this difficult period in Azerbaijan's history, great leader Heydar Aliyev returned to power at the request of the people. In a short period of time, the fundamental principles of our country's independent domestic and foreign policy strategy were identified, public and political stability and state discipline were ensured, and the implementation of democratic reforms and the army-building process began,” he said.

The president stressed that by signing the Contract of the Century, Azerbaijan secured a special place on the world energy map, joined the process of integration into the global economic environment and took bold steps leading to future success.

Aliyev emphasized that today, Azerbaijan is an initiator and active participant in major regional and global projects. He stated that the country pursues an independent foreign policy based on its national interests and is globally recognized as a reliable partner.

“Despite the fact that 20 percent of its lands were under occupation for almost 30 years and there were more than one million refugees and IDPs, Azerbaijan has always confidently advanced towards its goals and not deviated from its goals,” he said.

The president stressed that the logical result of the strategic line to the comprehensive development of Azerbaijan for many years and the continuous work done to further strengthen the country has been the restoration of historical justice (reinstatement of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity).

“Our historic victory is the beginning of a new era in the development of both our country and the region as a whole,” the president stated.