Details added (first version posted on 14:31)
Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 24
Trend:
Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev, over the past 15 years, has proved himself as the builder of new Azerbaijan over the past 15 years, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani President’s Assistant for Public and Political Affairs Ali Hasanov.
Hasanov made the remarks during the event in Baku on Dec. 24 dedicated to the presentation of the book entitled "Ilham Aliyev - chronicle of the success of the fifteen-year presidency. 2003-2018" and the film of the same name.
Hasanov stressed that if national leader Heydar Aliyev was the savior of Azerbaijan, his follower Ilham Aliyev over the past 15 years has been developing this country, has demonstrated a new management model and has proved himself as the builder of new Azerbaijan.
"Ilham Aliyev, within his 15 years of presidency, has demonstrated that he has global and systematic strategic thinking,” Hasanov said. “Both the work he carries out in the country and the current foreign policy, the cooperation platforms being carried out upon his initiative, international and regional projects which are being implemented will bring benefit to Azerbaijan and its citizens and serve to strengthen the country for many decades, centuries.”
“Thanks to these initiatives, Azerbaijan, which has no direct access to the open sea, has received the status of a transport and logistics center of the region, through the territory of which the East-West and North-South international transport corridors are stretching,” Hasanov added. “As the president stressed, this allowed Azerbaijan to lead in competition for international transportation, as well as make important contribution to the development of the non-oil sector.”
“Thanks to the large-scale energy projects being implemented upon the Azerbaijani president’s initiative, the country plays an important role in ensuring the energy security of the West,” he said. “Today Azerbaijan is the only alternative source in providing Europe with energy and today some countries are provided with energy by 30-40 percent through Azerbaijan.”
Hasanov stressed that the stability ensured in Azerbaijan under the leadership of President Aliyev makes the country an attractive source of export, which does not promise geopolitical problems, as well as an energy and transport hub.
"Thus, Azerbaijan redesigns the energy and transport map of the continent,” Hasanov added. “The projects created and implemented by Ilham Aliyev, namely, transnational oil and gas pipelines, intercontinental transport corridors, communication lines, ports, shipyards, airports, numerous cultural and medical facilities which were commissioned, national programs being implemented in the field of science, education, will ensure Azerbaijan’s well-being, sustainable development of our country."
He said that over the past 15 years, President Aliyev paid attention to the development of the country's regions, the education of young people, public investments in human capital, social rights and social protection of citizens.
“President Aliyev paid special attention to the conceptual policy on protection of health care of citizens, national and spiritual values and upbringing of a new generation in the spirit of loyalty to the historical heritage,” he said.
Hasanov also said that Azerbaijan has established mutually beneficial relations with all neighboring countries except for Armenia.