May 10 – is the 95th anniversary of nationwide Heydar Aliyev.

The history knows the names of the prominent figures that stood with their nations during the days of need and led them to the prosperous future. In this regard, what Mustafa Kemal Atatürk had done for Turkey and Charles de Gaulle for France, Heydar Aliyev had done for Azerbaijan. 

And Heydar Aliyev’s name is also known for his contributions to the socio-political, economic and cultural uplift of the people of Azerbaijan.  

After the collapse of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), starting from the 70s of the last century Heydar Aliyev became the nationwide leader, providing his people with hope and optimism under the conditions of despair and distrust. For his wise and foresighted policy, Azerbaijan’s great leader Heydar Aliyev is the architect of what Azerbaijan is today; independent, economically developed and strategically important amongst community of nations. If the big achievements under the leadership of Heydar Aliyev in the 1970s and 1980s were not gained, today we would not be independent and sailing smoothly on a steady path of economic development.

In June 1993, the crisis in the country reached a peak level. The country was at verge of civil war. At that particular time, the people of Azerbaijan demanded to bring Heydar Aliyev to power. Heydar Aliyev, considering adversity of his nation, accepted the request and returned to great politics in Azerbaijan. The return of Heydar Aliyev brought hope and joy for his countrymen. On 15 June 1993, Heydar Aliyev headed the parliament and later was elected President of Azerbaijan on national elections with overwhelming majority. For achieving his dreams and goals for his country and his countrymen, Heydar Aliyev spared no efforts to put the country on a path to economic development. His multi-vector policy became a state strategy, which brought prosperity and stability to the country.

Heydar Aliyev is no longer amongst us, but we should not be pessimistic about his physical death: his ideas and the political course conducted by him are pursued now, feeding us his philosophy - the philosophy of Azerbaijanism - and the ideology of a modern Azerbaijan created by him. His successor – President Ilham Aliyev - has been implementing large-scale projects and programs tailored for Azerbaijan’s progress, in line with Heydar Aliyev’s ideas. These projects encompass a variety of scientific, cultural, healthcare, sport, and environmental fields, including those promoting Azerbaijan’s cultural heritage worldwide.