Azerbaijan, Baku, June 13 / Trend /
"Irali" Public Union's activity will still be successful and contribute to the implementation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's activity, head of Political Analysis and Information Supply Department of the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan Elnur Aslanov said at the Irali report conference today.
He recalled that the organization was not so large in 2005 when Irali public union was established.
"Irali founders acted with the mission of informing the Azerbaijani public and young people about the creative work in the country, as well as the implementation of new ideas and social and humanitarian projects," Aslanov said.
He noted that "Irali" contributes to promoting innovative ideas in the national spirit today, just like it did during the period of the organization's establishment.
"This helped attract some 30,000 young people to union, which has become one big family for hundreds and thousands of teenagers," he said.
"We will celebrate the National Salvation Day (Gurtulush) in a few days. Today, those sitting in this hall are the representatives of Gurtulush generation, which lives in a completely different atmosphere than their predecessors thanks to political genius, Azerbaijani National Leader Heydar Aliyev," Aslanov underscored.
He said that the turbulent periods of early 1990's, when the country was on the brink of a civil war, have gone forever.
"I am sure that as young representatives of the strong modern country, you know about the situation that Azerbaijan was in, from the history books and stories of your parents - the tragedy of war, economic crisis, domestic policy intrigues and foreign policy failures. Today, these feelings became somewhat of a calling card" of the radical opposition forces. They ruled the country for the sake of their mercantile interests, jeopardizing our future at the dawn of Azerbaijan's independence," Aslanov said.
According to him, when "Irali" was being established, some people tried to import foreign scenarios of political development into Azerbaijan in 2005, by tincturing the policy in different colors.
"However there was no place there is no place for those vague scenarios in Azerbaijan, as we have our own single plan, single strategy, which is being implemented by President Ilham Aliyev. Due to this plan and strategy, Azerbaijan today is among the most successfully developing countries in the world! This plan includes liberating the occupied lands, increasing the level of people's welfare and intensifying Azerbaijan's development. That's why today Azerbaijan is truly an independent country," Aslanov said.
Today, when many countries live through hard times, in a difficult period of world economy's development, Azerbaijan develops foundations of national competitiveness in perspective sectors of the non-energy sector, the official noted.
"Our country is mastering new niches in the global economy, by creating new, more effective ones - enterprises, introducing the most advanced technologies," he said. "Such an approach is one of the best anti-crisis strategies, an integral part of the ideology of Azerbaijan's modern development."
At the same time, Aslanov stated that in recent years, Azerbaijan has turned into a brand new state.
"As the National Leader said: "The day will come, and Azerbaijan will shine bright like the sun". Today, you, the youth of Azerbaijan - see the clear evidence of dynamic development. On one hand the republic is a member of the UN Security Council, on the other hand - an active player in international organizations, and also is an important energy and transportation hub between East and West, North and South," Aslanov said.
According to Aslanov, Azerbaijan is no more a country that attracts foreign loans, as it has turned into a donor-state.
"If we analyze the work done during the period from 2003 to 2013, it is possible to state that the Azerbaijani state budget in 2003 amounted to only 2 billion manat, while today this figure totals nearly 24 billion manat. In 2003, GDP per capita of the population in Azerbaijan amounted to only $896, and today the figure stands at $7,490. At the same time, the volume of investment in Azerbaijan over the last decade has constituted $130 billion. Azerbaijan has become an initiator of very important and large projects," he said.
According to Aslanov, no political or economic project may be implemented in the region without participation of Baku.
As an example, he mentioned successful implementation of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline projects, TANAP as well as the coming commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway, which will link Asia with Europe.
"This once again emphasizes the strategic importance of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan's future is in young people. Today, Azerbaijan is not a country it was 20 years ago. Our country is a model of tolerance and a center of intercultural dialogue, a place where a large number of international events are held," Aslanov noted.
According to him, in this context, activity and intellectual development of youth are particularly important.
Aslanov went on to note that of course, along with successes, there are certain difficulties.
"The biggest problem is the settlement of the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict. The President of Azerbaijan has repeatedly voiced the country's position, saying that we will try to resolve the conflict peacefully. However, if that can not be reached, the Azerbaijani youth will become actively involved in the liberation of the occupied territories by the order of the Commander in Chief. Nagorno-Karabakh is an integral territory of Azerbaijan," Aslanov said.
According to him, today, Azerbaijani economy constitutes 80 percent of the entire economy of the South Caucasus, and as a regional leader, the republic stands for peace and stability in the South Caucasus.
Aslanov said that support in the upcoming presidential election for Ilham Aliyev - a person, who is committed to the development and bright future of Azerbaijan, is very important.
"It means that you define the future of our country, and thus, determine your own future," Aslanov underscored.