THE SUCCESSOR OF HEYDAR ALIYEV'S WAY
Today Azerbaijan is led by Ilham Aliyev, a worthy follower of the path of Heydar Aliyev. Heydar Aliyev's politics lives on and wins in Azerbaijan. Expressing the will of the Azerbaijani people, Ilham Aliyev is the president of independent Azerbaijan and the leader of the world's Azerbaijanis. 
The new President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, is a prominent and modern statesman recognized throughout the world. In his native Azerbaijan, he enjoys great respect and authority. Now the political portrait of the President of Azerbaijan is known all over the world.
Prominent political and statesman Ilham Aliyev is the son of the national leader of the Azerbaijani people, genius statesman Heydar Aliyev. He is a professional politician. Graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations in 1982. Here he began his scientific and pedagogical activity (1982), was a graduate student, teacher. Candidate of Historical Sciences (1985). Since 1991, he worked in Moscow as General Director of Orient Company, Vice President for Foreign Economic Relations (since 1994) and First Vice President (since 1997), Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan (2003). He was the closest ally of Heydar Aliyev in preserving the statehood of Azerbaijan and building a new Azerbaijan.
Ilham Aliyev took an active part in the development of Heydar Aliyev's oil strategy, the success and implementation of this policy on the world stage, the preparation of various projects in this area, the implementation of very complex diplomatic tasks, played an important role in attracting investment to the country. He took part in the implementation of economic reforms in the country, the expansion of economic and cultural ties of independent Azerbaijan with foreign countries, in particular, the conclusion and implementation of historic agreements with leading oil companies on the joint development of oil and gas fields, including the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan main export oil pipeline. In general, he played an important role in the integration of the Republic of Azerbaijan into the world market. As a result of the implementation of the oil strategy by Ilham Aliyev, who has a great contribution to it, the signing of oil contracts with international companies in 1994-2000, foreign companies provided Azerbaijan with a premium of $ 800 million. More than 30,000 jobs have been created in the oil sector of Azerbaijan.
Ilham Aliyev, who is actively involved in building a democratic, legal and secular state in Azerbaijan, is also a prominent party figure. He is the leader of the country's leading political party, the Yeni (New) Azerbaijan Party (NAP). Ilham Aliyev was elected deputy chairman of the party at the first congress of the New Azerbaijan Party (1999) and first deputy chairman at the second congress (2001). Having adequately coped with this important task, Ilham Aliyev very effectively mobilized the broad masses of the population for the construction of a new Azerbaijan. In the 2000 parliamentary elections, Ilham Aliyev led the YAP campaign. It was under his leadership that the YAP won a convincing victory in these elections and received a significant majority in the Milli Mejlis.
During his tenure as a deputy of the Milli Majlis, Ilham Aliyev has carried out extensive and multifaceted activities. He was always among the people, studied their problems, regularly showed concern for those in need of social protection. At that time, Ilham Aliyev's concern for various strata of society, refugees, internally displaced persons, and invalids of the Karabakh war, his great construction work in the Garadagh region and other regions of the country are vivid manifestations of this concern for his native people.
The activity of Ilham Aliyev, a member of the permanent parliamentary commission on international relations and inter-parliamentary relations, as head of the permanent delegation of the Azerbaijani parliament to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), is an example of determination, courage, and service to his people. His purposeful, decisive, and bold speeches in PACE had a strong impact on the further growth of Azerbaijan's prestige in the European space. Thanks to the tireless activity and decisive speeches of Ilham Aliyev, the Armenian aggressors were exposed in the Council of Europe, an objective opinion about Nagorno-Karabakh, an integral part of Azerbaijan, and the so-called "Nagorno-Karabakh problem" was formed in the Western world, he was given a correct political assessment and important steps were taken to its permission. Ilham Aliyev played an important role in the recognition of Armenia as an occupying power, proving that Armenian terrorism is an integral part of international terrorism, and conveyed to Europe and the world community that Nagorno-Karabakh, which got out of control, became a transit zone for drug trafficking and an accomplice of terrorism... His activities in the Council of Europe, his objective and constructive speeches in PACE have earned Ilham Aliyev great respect and prestige among Western politicians. He was elected PACE Vice-Speaker and Bureau member (January 2003).
Ilham Aliyev has shown an unprecedented commitment to the implementation of the youth policy of President Heydar Aliyev and continues to work successfully in this area. Appointed as President of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 1997, Ilham Aliyev soon showed a high level of organizational skills in this area. Thanks to his tireless and hard work, within a short period of time, Azerbaijani sport was revived and gained worldwide fame. The brilliant success of Azerbaijani athletes in international competitions is, first of all, a great political victory of the sports movement headed by Ilham Aliyev.
Ilham Aliyev, as a forward-looking statesman and politician, is committed to educating healthy youth and, thus, turning the sport into a nationwide movement to ensure a healthy future for our people. On his initiative, the construction and commissioning of Olympic sports and recreation complexes not only in the capital of Baku but also in the regions, the creation of solid material and technical base for the development of various sports are vivid manifestations of a wise policy aimed at a healthy future.
At present, the leading position of Azerbaijan in international competitions, in various fields of sports, the transformation of Baku into the center of important international competitions in the world further increases the glory of Azerbaijan and has a positive effect on its international reputation. This is one of the greatest successes of Ilham Aliyev's youth policy.
Ilham Aliyev has won great respect and authority in the world as a professional politician with deep knowledge of the history of international relations. As the head or member of the Azerbaijani delegation, he paid official visits to the United States, Great Britain, Turkey, France, Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Slovakia, Poland, Georgia, and other countries. He has spoken at many international conferences and congresses.
Ilham Aliyev was a deputy of the Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan (1-2 convocations), in fact, he headed the permanent delegation of the Azerbaijani parliament to PACE and the PACE vice-speaker, as well as a member of the bureau. Considering his services to the Azerbaijani people, Ilham Aliyev was appointed Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2003. He won the 2003 presidential elections and was elected President of the Republic of Azerbaijan by the will of the people.
President Ilham Aliyev successfully continues the policy of building a democratic, legal and secular state of the great son of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev. President Ilham Aliyev has always focused on ensuring a fuller provision of human rights and freedoms in the country. It successfully implements the course of Heydar Aliyev on the preservation and further development of the national and moral values of the Azerbaijani people. His Decrees "On the publication of the National Encyclopedia of Azerbaijan" and "Implementation of mass publications in the Azerbaijani language using the Latin alphabet" (January 12, 2004), he personally took over the publication of the National Encyclopedia and signed in this regard decrees increasing the additional salaries of scientists for obtaining academic degrees, scholarships for students, masters and graduate students, the state's concern for national and universal values is a manifestation of this concern. Ilham Aliyev pays special attention to the historical past of the Azerbaijani people. He highly appreciated the role of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic in the history of our statehood: “The creation of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was a very significant and important event in our history. For the first time in the Muslim world, a democratic republic was established and the Azerbaijani people gained independence. Our country was a member of the world community. It was a very significant event".
On October 19, 2006, Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on the State Program for the Education of Azerbaijani Youth Abroad, instructing the relevant executive authorities to develop a State Program for the Education of Azerbaijani Youth Abroad. Accordingly, on April 16, 2007, he approved the State Program of Training Azerbaijani Youth Abroad for 2007-2015.
The development concept "Azerbaijan 2020: Vision of the Future" is considered one of the main strategic initiatives of Ilham Aliyev for the future development of the country. The corresponding order on the development of this concept was adopted on November 29, 2011, and the concept was approved by the Decree of December 29, 2012. The concept provides for measures and measures to develop various sectors of the economy and improve the well-being of the population by 2020. When evaluating Azerbaijan's Voluntary Report on the Implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals, the Development Concept "Azerbaijan 2020: Vision for the Future", approved by Ilham Aliyev, was described as a strategy reflecting long-term national interests, opportunities for investors, and key issues. The same approach was noted in the Report prepared for the World Economic Forum 2015 and published in the Journal of Foreign Policy. Business Year magazine, which specializes in economics, characterized the concept initiated by Ilham Aliyev as a smart strategy aimed at protecting Azerbaijan's national economic interests.
He protects the interests of Azerbaijan at a high level in all spheres in the rapidly changing modern world, in the processes of globalization and integration, at all international meetings and negotiations. Thanks to the successful foreign policy of Ilham Aliyev, the role and prestige of Azerbaijan in solving international and regional problems are increasing.
As a result of the decisive and purposeful activity of President Ilham Aliyev, the Victory Army of Azerbaijan ended the 30-year occupation. Thus, the myth of the "invincible army", created by the enemy of the years, rose to the eyes of the whole world for 44 days, the Armenian army was defeated, and the operation "Iron Fist" ended the Glorious Victory of Azerbaijan. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, Ilham Aliyev, with a broad outlook, deep and universal knowledge, and high culture, gave dozens of interviews during the war and answered provocative questions from some journalists; answered with historical facts and proofs.
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev has been awarded honorary titles and awards of many countries and international organizations awarded a diploma and a medal of honorary member of PACE.
Thanks to the wise internal reforms, implemented by President Ilham Aliyev, and far-sighted, purposeful foreign policy, Azerbaijan has become a leader in the South Caucasus.