Efforts to keep Azerbaijan out of strategic projects doomed to failure: President

BAKU

Some forces continue their efforts aimed at keeping Azerbaijan out of strategic projects, including the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route, also known as the Middle Corridor, but these attempts are doomed to failure, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said on Wednesday.

Speaking on the centenary of national leader Heydar Aliyev's birth in Shusha, Aliyev said that Azerbaijan honors the memory of this great statesman and visionary politician with deep respect and gratitude.

The foundations of the policy that Azerbaijan is implementing today were laid by Heydar Aliyev, he stressed.

Born on May 10, 1923, Heydar Aliyev served as the president of Azerbaijan from October 1993 to October 2003.

The president pointed out that today's Azerbaijan is one of Eurasia's transport centers, noting it emerged from an international conference on the International Transport Corridor Europe-Caucasus-Asia, held in Azerbaijan at Heydar Aliyev's initiative.

“It was in those years that the foundation was laid for the project that we call today the Middle Corridor – Europe-Caucasus-Asia. That is, the passage of this corridor through the territory of Azerbaijan was agreed at that time," he said.

Ilham Aliyev went on to say that the state policy of Azerbaijan today is based on a deep attachment to the national and spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people.

"All kinds of trends are emerging in the world today, in various corners of the world, new 'values' are emerging. Remaining committed to traditional values, we are building our future on a very solid national and spiritual basis. This is how the younger generation should be brought up, this is how we bring it up," he stressed.

Aliyev said this way of education pays back, the Second Karabakh War was "a triumph of the indomitable spirit of the Azerbaijani people."

"Our army fought, and demonstrated its strength not on parade, but on the battlefield. For 44 days, not a single person took a step back, there was not a single deserter. This is our army! Such is our people! After all, the army is an integral part of the people. The sons of the people, the children brought up by us, serve in the army," he stressed.

One of the strongest armies

The president praised the Azerbaijani army as "one of the strongest in the world," in terms of both equipment and combat capability.

"There are very few countries in the world today that are capable of conducting an independent foreign and domestic policy in the true sense of the word.

"Azerbaijan is one of those countries that cannot be influenced by any outside force because we have a strong will, we have a strong army, and at the same time we have great opportunities," he said.

Azerbaijan also became an important country for Europe, having strategic partnerships with nine European countries.

"We managed to achieve the adoption of all the necessary international documents and resolutions, which played a role in the success of the Second Karabakh War.

"We only tried to prove the truth and achieved that. This is our land. The land I'm standing on is Azerbaijani land. We have managed to create this legal and political base through our active work within the framework of international organizations," he said.

He added that in the last 20 years, there is no other country in the world economically developing as rapidly as Azerbaijan. The country's economy grew more than three times, its international reserves reached $65 billion while the foreign debt stood at $6 billion, he added.

He also said that Azerbaijan is a democratic country, where all freedoms are ensured.

“Representatives of all peoples, all faiths live in Azerbaijan as one family. This is also an example for the whole world, and this is noted not only by me but also by many experts, politicians, statesmen, and heads of international organizations who are directly involved in this issue. This unique atmosphere strengthens our country today,” he said.