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81918
Sun, 09/27/2009 - 01:44
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FIRST MAGAZINE PUBLISHES OFFICIAL REPORT TO MARK UK VISIT OF AZERBAIJAN PRESIDENT ILHAM ALIYEV
Baku, 26 September (AzerTAc). The FIRST Magazine has published an official report to mark Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev`s July visit to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
The report entitled “Azerbaijan: progressive strategic partnership” starts with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown`s remarks who said the visit “reaffirms our commitment to forge an ever stronger partnership between the UK and Azerbaijan and to welcome Azerbaijan`s deepening relationship with the European Union”.
Mr. Brown said: “Azerbaijan stands at a crossroads between Europe and its eastern neighbors. It has a vital role to play in the future of European energy security, including in the development of the Southern Corridor and planned Nabucco pipeline. Its economy is undergoing a period of remarkable growth and there is a strong UK-Azerbaijan business relationship – not just in the energy sector, but also in education, construction, agriculture and IT – with opportunities for deepening it further.”
The British Premier concluded: “I also welcome Azerbaijan`s participation in the European Union`s Eastern Partnership Agreement, through which we are committed to working together to support stability, human rights and democratic reforms in Azerbaijan and the region.”
The report features political and economic successes Azerbaijan has achieved during President Ilham Aliyev`s years in office.
“Ilham Aliyev continued to strengthen the state institutions, promoted government reforms and created an effective system to ensure the equal distribution of oil-derived income. He has placed particular emphasis on the development of the regions, including job creation and improving social infrastructure. These objectives have been successfully achieved.”
The report says: “One of the most important successes has been the provision of proper accommodation for one million refugees and internally displaced persons who lost their homes as a result of Armenian action against Azerbaijan. This social program was, to a large extent, financed internally from oil exports accumulated in the State Oil Fund.”
“President Ilham Aliyev`s key domestic priorities have been to continue the economic reforms needed to create a viable, long-term non-oil sector, principally in agriculture, construction, tourism, and petrochemicals.”
“In the first term of his presidency, some 705,000 jobs were created in the non-oil sector. Over the same period, poverty levels fell from 49 per cent to 15.8 per cent, and have continued to drop.”
The report also emphasizes the country`s role as global energy player: “In the meantime, Azerbaijan can rely on increasing income from oil. In 2005, 14 years after the so-called Contract of the Century that brought in foreign companies to help develop the country`s hydrocarbons resources Azerbaijani oil started to flow on to world markets through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.”
“The pipeline will pump a million barrels of oil a day by 2008. President Ilham Aliyev is committed to developing Azerbaijan`s policy as an international energy player.”
The report also praises the Azerbaijani President`s efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“The government of President Ilham Aliyev has pursued a policy of building political reform on the foundations of economic growth. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, 20 per cent of Azerbaijan`s territory has been occupied by neighboring Armenia. Close to one million Azerbaijanis have been displaced and left homeless as a result of this occupation. Key foreign policy priorities are to develop a pluralist democracy based on a market economy and the supremacy of the law; to follow an independent foreign policy with the aim of restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan; and to overcome challenges to Azerbaijan’s security, political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The President has also resolved to find a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh via negotiations based on the principles of the Lisbon summit and within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, thereby eliminating the consequences of Armenian military aggression towards Azerbaijan.”
The Azerbaijani leader`s foreign policy is also hailed in the report which says: “Ilham Aliyev also stresses the importance of developing friendly and mutually advantageous relations with neighbors as well as ensuring the security and stability of the region.”
“Other priorities include preventing the illegal transport of weapons in the region and the demilitarization of the Caspian Basin. The President encourages the pursuit of a nuclear free zone in the South Caucasus and supports global efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. A key tenet of Azerbaijan`s foreign policy is to integrate with European and Transatlantic security organizations such as NATO, the European Union, the Union of Western Europe and the Council of Europe.
Azerbaijan`s foreign policy is also designed to ensure the country`s continued economic development based on her important strategic geographic position as the gateway between East and West as well as developing the Eurasian transport corridor.”
The report also praises activities of Azerbaijan`s first lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation
Mehriban Aliyeva.
“Mehriban Aliyeva, Azerbaijan`s first lady, had already been active for more than a decade promoting Azerbaijan`s health, education, and culture when, in 2004, she founded the Heydar Aliyev Foundation committed to continuing the progressive legacy established in these areas by the former president whose name it bears.”
“Mrs. Aliyeva says that Heydar Aliyev was an inspiration to her. Mrs. Aliyeva has proved an effective president of the Foundation and in the four years since it was founded the organization has made significant progress. Its achievements can be seen in a wide range of areas: preparing and implementing programs and projects in science, education, culture, health, sport, public health, social affairs and the environment.”
“Mrs Aliyeva highlights the Foundation`s commitment to children`s issues, saying that after carrying out extensive surveys of the country`s child welfare institutions, it has identified four main priorities: support, education, health, and social activities,” the report stresses.
“Throughout the country, some 29 children`s homes have been repaired, along with the construction of associated support buildings and living quarters, all equipped through funding provided by the Foundation. The Foundation has already made a positive impact on the nation’s education through its New School for the New Azerbaijan program of building, repairing, and improving village schools.
Mrs. Aliyeva has been involved for a long time in addressing health care issues, and particularly the problems of early childhood. The Foundation has overseen a nationwide construction and renovation project covering hospitals, emergency centers, clinics and pharmacies. It has also set up the Best Care for Diabetic Children Program to provide treatment for children suffering from diabetes. The Foundation has also been active in combating the spread of the genetic blood disorder thalassemia in Azerbaijan, with plans to establish a diagnostics centre.”
“A UNESCO cultural Goodwill Ambassador since 2004, Mrs. Aliyeva has been successful in establishing stronger ties with the international community to promote Azerbaijan`s rich cultural heritage. At the same time the Foundation is committed to safeguarding the country’s cultural heritage, especially its oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, and traditional craftsmanship. Mrs. Aliyeva`s role in promoting the country`s culture goes back to the early 1990s, when she set up Friends of Azerbaijan Culture, a charitable foundation, which continues to increase knowledge of Azerbaijan`s cultural wealth, while working to ensure its conservation at national and regional levels through festivals, exhibitions, cultural events, and concerts.”
FIRST Magazine is published for the world’s leadership community and addresses strategic issues of concern to senior international businessmen and government officials. The magazine is published by FIRST, a multidisciplinary international affairs organization.
The report entitled “Azerbaijan: progressive strategic partnership” starts with British Prime Minister Gordon Brown`s remarks who said the visit “reaffirms our commitment to forge an ever stronger partnership between the UK and Azerbaijan and to welcome Azerbaijan`s deepening relationship with the European Union”.
Mr. Brown said: “Azerbaijan stands at a crossroads between Europe and its eastern neighbors. It has a vital role to play in the future of European energy security, including in the development of the Southern Corridor and planned Nabucco pipeline. Its economy is undergoing a period of remarkable growth and there is a strong UK-Azerbaijan business relationship – not just in the energy sector, but also in education, construction, agriculture and IT – with opportunities for deepening it further.”
The British Premier concluded: “I also welcome Azerbaijan`s participation in the European Union`s Eastern Partnership Agreement, through which we are committed to working together to support stability, human rights and democratic reforms in Azerbaijan and the region.”
The report features political and economic successes Azerbaijan has achieved during President Ilham Aliyev`s years in office.
“Ilham Aliyev continued to strengthen the state institutions, promoted government reforms and created an effective system to ensure the equal distribution of oil-derived income. He has placed particular emphasis on the development of the regions, including job creation and improving social infrastructure. These objectives have been successfully achieved.”
The report says: “One of the most important successes has been the provision of proper accommodation for one million refugees and internally displaced persons who lost their homes as a result of Armenian action against Azerbaijan. This social program was, to a large extent, financed internally from oil exports accumulated in the State Oil Fund.”
“President Ilham Aliyev`s key domestic priorities have been to continue the economic reforms needed to create a viable, long-term non-oil sector, principally in agriculture, construction, tourism, and petrochemicals.”
“In the first term of his presidency, some 705,000 jobs were created in the non-oil sector. Over the same period, poverty levels fell from 49 per cent to 15.8 per cent, and have continued to drop.”
The report also emphasizes the country`s role as global energy player: “In the meantime, Azerbaijan can rely on increasing income from oil. In 2005, 14 years after the so-called Contract of the Century that brought in foreign companies to help develop the country`s hydrocarbons resources Azerbaijani oil started to flow on to world markets through the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline.”
“The pipeline will pump a million barrels of oil a day by 2008. President Ilham Aliyev is committed to developing Azerbaijan`s policy as an international energy player.”
The report also praises the Azerbaijani President`s efforts to find a peaceful solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.
“The government of President Ilham Aliyev has pursued a policy of building political reform on the foundations of economic growth. Since the breakup of the Soviet Union, 20 per cent of Azerbaijan`s territory has been occupied by neighboring Armenia. Close to one million Azerbaijanis have been displaced and left homeless as a result of this occupation. Key foreign policy priorities are to develop a pluralist democracy based on a market economy and the supremacy of the law; to follow an independent foreign policy with the aim of restoring the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan; and to overcome challenges to Azerbaijan’s security, political independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity. The President has also resolved to find a solution to the Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict of Nagorno-Karabakh via negotiations based on the principles of the Lisbon summit and within the framework of the OSCE Minsk Group, thereby eliminating the consequences of Armenian military aggression towards Azerbaijan.”
The Azerbaijani leader`s foreign policy is also hailed in the report which says: “Ilham Aliyev also stresses the importance of developing friendly and mutually advantageous relations with neighbors as well as ensuring the security and stability of the region.”
“Other priorities include preventing the illegal transport of weapons in the region and the demilitarization of the Caspian Basin. The President encourages the pursuit of a nuclear free zone in the South Caucasus and supports global efforts to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons. A key tenet of Azerbaijan`s foreign policy is to integrate with European and Transatlantic security organizations such as NATO, the European Union, the Union of Western Europe and the Council of Europe.
Azerbaijan`s foreign policy is also designed to ensure the country`s continued economic development based on her important strategic geographic position as the gateway between East and West as well as developing the Eurasian transport corridor.”
The report also praises activities of Azerbaijan`s first lady, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation
Mehriban Aliyeva.
“Mehriban Aliyeva, Azerbaijan`s first lady, had already been active for more than a decade promoting Azerbaijan`s health, education, and culture when, in 2004, she founded the Heydar Aliyev Foundation committed to continuing the progressive legacy established in these areas by the former president whose name it bears.”
“Mrs. Aliyeva says that Heydar Aliyev was an inspiration to her. Mrs. Aliyeva has proved an effective president of the Foundation and in the four years since it was founded the organization has made significant progress. Its achievements can be seen in a wide range of areas: preparing and implementing programs and projects in science, education, culture, health, sport, public health, social affairs and the environment.”
“Mrs Aliyeva highlights the Foundation`s commitment to children`s issues, saying that after carrying out extensive surveys of the country`s child welfare institutions, it has identified four main priorities: support, education, health, and social activities,” the report stresses.
“Throughout the country, some 29 children`s homes have been repaired, along with the construction of associated support buildings and living quarters, all equipped through funding provided by the Foundation. The Foundation has already made a positive impact on the nation’s education through its New School for the New Azerbaijan program of building, repairing, and improving village schools.
Mrs. Aliyeva has been involved for a long time in addressing health care issues, and particularly the problems of early childhood. The Foundation has overseen a nationwide construction and renovation project covering hospitals, emergency centers, clinics and pharmacies. It has also set up the Best Care for Diabetic Children Program to provide treatment for children suffering from diabetes. The Foundation has also been active in combating the spread of the genetic blood disorder thalassemia in Azerbaijan, with plans to establish a diagnostics centre.”
“A UNESCO cultural Goodwill Ambassador since 2004, Mrs. Aliyeva has been successful in establishing stronger ties with the international community to promote Azerbaijan`s rich cultural heritage. At the same time the Foundation is committed to safeguarding the country’s cultural heritage, especially its oral traditions and expressions, performing arts, and traditional craftsmanship. Mrs. Aliyeva`s role in promoting the country`s culture goes back to the early 1990s, when she set up Friends of Azerbaijan Culture, a charitable foundation, which continues to increase knowledge of Azerbaijan`s cultural wealth, while working to ensure its conservation at national and regional levels through festivals, exhibitions, cultural events, and concerts.”
FIRST Magazine is published for the world’s leadership community and addresses strategic issues of concern to senior international businessmen and government officials. The magazine is published by FIRST, a multidisciplinary international affairs organization.
