Over the last four years, strong economic growth was observed in Azerbaijan and for the level of GDP growth, the Country was the leader in the world in the last year, said the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, in his interview with Interfax.
According to the President, in the past four years, the GDP grew by 96% and it gave an opportunity to the Country to save up sufficient financial resources and carry out active social policy.
"Together with this impressive figure, it is very important for me that over these four years, the level of poverty in the Country decreased from 49% to 16%. Firstly it testifies that all our efforts are firstly directed towards improving social situation of our citizens. On the other hand, considering that Azerbaijan is an oil and gas producing country, it testifies that the oil revenues are shared equally. Otherwise, the poverty would not decrease, but just against, increase," Ilham Aliyev said.
Practically it was successful to win unemployment. More than 650,000 new jobs, with more than 450,000 permanent, were created in the last four years. It is a big figure for a country with 8.5mln population, the State Head said.
In addition, some 1200 new schools were built and supplied with computers during the past four years, huge funds are allocated for the health and other spheres that are important for the population - infrastructure, electric power stations, water pipelines, ecologic programs. Today programs are being carried out in all spheres in Azerbaijan.
"We will go to elections with these results. As a President, I have something to say and to give a report, and all my promises have been fulfilled. Maybe several of them became unreal. Especially before the 2003 Presidential elections, I said that 600,000 new workplaces will be created. I promised that no tent refugee camp will remain after five years. Today the last one of 12 tent camps was liquidated and all refugees and internally displaced persons removed to new houses," Ilham Aliyev said.
According to him, today it needs to think of the future: how the country will be after five years. "We will impose a target of not only improving welfare of population, but also becoming a developed country," the President said.
According to him, there are potentials for it - firstly intellectual, secondly economic. We have fully resolved the issue of energy security and already ensure energy security of other countries. "We expect hundreds of billions of dollars from the realization of the energy projects in the next 10 years, but not 20 years as stated formerly. All these provide an opportunity to carry out political and economic reforms and strengthen Country's international position and look at the future. We see Azerbaijan as a developed, democratic, contemporary Country where population resides under peace, consent and social justice. I want Azerbaijan to become such a Country, and in order to achieve it, we have everything - will of people, stability, unity of society and power. None of our programs could be realized without support of population. There are financial resources, stable conditions in Azerbaijan, as well as good-neighborhood relations with the neighboring countries and it is very important for each country. Therefore, I optimistically look at Azerbaijan's future and I am sure that it will be very bright," Ilham Aliyev said.