Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec. 30 / Trend M. Aliyev/
Azerbaijan has achieved historic successes in 2011, Azerbaijani Presidential Administration Social and Political Department Chief Ali Hasanov said in an interview with Trend.
"Political and social situation in Azerbaijan is stable. Steady continuation of socio-economic development under President Ilham Aliyev's leadership has rapidly increased the potential of country's economy in 2011," Hasanov said.
As a result, today there is a steady, stable and dynamically developing economic system in Azerbaijan, Hasanov added.
Revolutionary results in Azerbaijan's socio-economic development were achieved not only in 2011, but over an eight-year period in general, Hasanov underlined.
He said as large-scale measures taken through specific programs enabled to establish modern state and modern society in Azerbaijan.
"The country has implemented large-scale infrastructure projects, covering road transport sector, public provision, science, education, health, information and communication technologies, that is, covering all socio-economic, cultural and other spheres.
Energy security, mainly Azerbaijan's food security is fully ensured. During this period, Azerbaijan's economy grew by three times, the state budget by 20 times, while foreign exchange reserves were formed in the amount of $50 billion. The country's energy potential strengthened, economy expanded, non-oil sector and industry are rapidly developing. The country has maintained macroeconomic stability, inflation is kept at an unchanged level. In the first nine months of 2011 inflation hit 8.4 percent, cash income grew by 19 percent. Evidently, the growth of cash income is twice more than inflation rate," Hasanov said.
Raising the people's well-being standard over the past period, including in 2011, has been one of the main goals of the internal economic and social policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev, Hasanov underlined. "About one million jobs have been opened, the unemployment ratio fell to 5.5 percent, while the poverty ratio is nine percent. The country implements a program of targeted social assistance, which covers more than 500,000 people. Some 112,000 families monthly receive about an average of $130. Salaries and pensions increase every year, including in 2011, and in terms of these indicators Azerbaijan is among the leaders in the CIS," he added.
According to Hasanov, today Azerbaijan is a country that meets its demands by itself, has a strong defense and security system. It is impossible to exert external pressure on it, threaten it and force to do something. Azerbaijan has achieved important successes in army building. Today, the Azerbaijani army's budget is one and a half times more than entire Armenia's budget. Our armed forces are provided with modern equipment and weapons. The country produces more than 500 types of defensive products, Hasanov added.
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