Azerbaijan, Baku, May 13 / Trend E. Mehdiyev /
Azerbaijan's youth policy is directly formed with young people, Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration's Social and Political Department Ali Hasanov said at a meeting of the Public Council on Youth Affairs operating under the Ministry of Youth and Sports today.
"Young people determine the stages of forming and implementing this policy, as well as the plans connected with the future," Hasanov noted. "The country is organizing and implementing these proposals."
"If the activity is not conducted blindly, but in the planned manner and on the basis of the received proposals, this kind of policy is always stable, more practical and pragmatic," Hasanov said.
"While listening to the speech of young people, one can move more confidently into the future and look forward with hope," he said. "If citizens are optimistic, it means there is hope and faith in the future. If human activity is conscious, focused on specific goals, if those who carry out these policies, act strongly, so one can talk about success," he noted.
Hasanov underscored that he welcomes the fact that young people support President Ilham Aliyev.
"I think that this is your conscious choice of supporting Ilham Aliyev's candidacy in the presidential elections. You were not forced to do this. Neither Ministry of Youth and Sports, nor the Presidential Administration interfered in this issue. I am sure that you made the right and a conscious choice," Hasanov said.
The official also touched on the contribution of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the field of youth.
"After national leader Heydar Aliyev came to power in 1969, he sent young people to study at the famous universities of the former USSR," he said.
"It was the beginning of developing Azerbaijan's human resources," he said. "For a short time, around 15,000 Azerbaijani young people have been trained on 275 specialties in more than 150 educational institutions of the USSR and today participate in Azerbaijan's state-building. Heydar Aliyev took revolutionary actions in Azerbaijan's human resource development in 1969-1987. National leader's merits also focused on education of future generations after 1993," Hasanov noted.
He further said there are five requirements in Azerbaijan's current socio-political model, which are statehood, rule of law, social justice in the society, civic adherence to principle and solidarity.
"These are the main points on which we rely today," he said.
"In 1992, each individual, based on own slogan, used to proclaim the principle of society's governance, and the domestic policy principle. Some used to say that Turks have no friends except for Turks, others have said that Azerbaijan should soon hoist the flag in Iran and we must unite with South Azerbaijan, to create a great country. There were also those who said that our main national idea is to release China's Uighurs and to establish a powerful country. These principles were destroying our society from within," Hasanov noted.
He added that the idea left by Heydar Aliyev continues to serve the development of the country today.
"Azerbaijanism is associated with our country. This idea also allows using the country's opportunities. Azerbaijanism is a civil solidarity. It does not deny nationality. Our national leader said that nationality of each person is the source of that person's pride. Our culture includes the wealth of each individual. If one removes the contribution of the Lezghin, Kurd, Talysh and other Azerbaijani nations' cultures from this culture, what will our culture have? Our culture is a totality of cultures of the people living in Azerbaijan," Hasanov underscored.
He noted that young people express a will power, supporting the candidacy of Ilham Aliyev for another presidential term and his third election as the President.
"We appreciate this determination," he said. "I am sure that youth agencies will participate in Ilham Aliyev's further activity in the upcoming elections after Ilham Aliyev is officially nominated. It is planned to allocate more than 100 million for the State Program on Youth Policy. In general, educational, social and other projects are connected with young people."
Hasanov noted that during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev put the issue of granting the mortgage loan to the youth as a serious challenge.
"The youth must be able to more easily and practically use the profits obtained from the Azerbaijani oil," he said. "The mortgage amount must be increased and it is necessary to make it easier for usage."
The official noted that while using mortgage, a youth representative must resolve issues related to education, housing, family planning and housing issues.
"If one does not support such a president, who must be supported? Today we can appear among our opponents and citizens with dignity and tell them about our deliberate choice," Hasanov noted.
He added that sometimes foreign organizations slander Azerbaijan and unfortunately, as a tool, they use Azerbaijani youth.
"They lead our young people off the path, suspend their activity in the field of state, by using grants from various illegal centers, push them to the unhealthy, anti-national way and disgrace our country, our people abroad on the basis of their information, distort the essence of our policy and in the full sense of the word try to create a gap between the state building and governance and the youth," he said.
Hasanov underscored that if conscious young people do not resist, of course, these foreign organizations will attract normal youth as well.
"Today, Azerbaijan is a self-sufficient country created 20 years ago. But the power of any state is measured by the determination of its citizens," Hasanov said.
The Public Council on Youth Affairs operating under the Azerbaijani Ministry of Youth and Sport held a meeting on Monday.
A statement on support for President Aliyev as a candidate for the president was made following the meeting.
Head of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration's Social and Political Department Ali Hasanov and Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Intiqam Babayev attended the meeting.
The experts discussed the main directions of activity in the field of youth registered non-governmental organizations, as well as the issues on the agenda.