Heydar Aliyev's return to power in Azerbaijan in 1993 was a turning point in the social, political, economic, scientific and cultural life of the country, and marked the beginning of the process of building an independent state in accordance with international norms and principles. As a result of the urgent measures taken by Heydar Aliyev - on one hand, forming National Army and regular Armed forces capable to guard national interests of Azerbaijan and defend our lands, on the other hand, stop the war by all diplomatic and political means - the ceasefire regime having vital importance to our country was established in May 1994.
Signing the first oil agreement called "Contract of the Century" in 1994 and its realization under conditions of relative stability within Azerbaijan and increasing interest and confidence to our country in the international arena, are the vivid evidence of realization of Heydar Aliyev's oil strategy constituting a concept of economic development of Azerbaijan.
The extremely tense activity carried out under the guidance of Heydar Aliyev put an end to backstage games with Azerbaijani people's destiny, political anarchy and experiment, crime, illegal armed groups that in all allowed to create necessary conditions for successful state-building in Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev's decisiveness allowed preventing October 1994 and March 1995 coup d'etat which posed a serious threat to Azerbaijan statehood and independence. Strengthening of Azerbaijan's statehood and establishment of democratic principles on the base of the first Constitution of independent Azerbaijan, successful and intensive realization of the process of building democratic, legal and secular state are bound up with the personality of Heydar Aliyev.
The domestic policy carried out by Heydar Aliyev implied providing each Azerbaijani citizen with the right to live freely and create conditions for improvement of his own living standard. Economic reforms, the establishment of the market economy, ensuring economic development, Azerbaijan's integration into the world economy, implementation of the privatization program and agrarian reforms were priority directions of Heydar Aliyev's activity.
Due to the foreign policy of Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan's relations with the world's leading countries and international organizations began developing in accordance with the national interests far-sighted political perspective. His resolute steps, skilful use of the most authoritative rostrums in the name national goals, had extremely important significance from the standpoint of the present and future of Azerbaijan's statehood.
Active diplomacy of Heydar Aliyev made democratic states and leading international public organizations to change their attitude to our country and the armed conflict it had been involved in forcedly. The Heydar Aliyev's foreign policy was based on peace, respect to international legal norms, integrity and inviolability of borders, territorial integrity of states and principles of mutually beneficial cooperation.
Since 1992, Heydar Aliyev had been carrying out tense activity aimed at expanding and strengthening economic, political, literary and cultural links with Turkish speaking countries.
He did extremely intensive and fruitful work to prepare and realize large-scale international economic agreements on the utilization of natural resources and favourable geo-strategic position of Azerbaijan in accordance with the national interests.
Due to his huge political will and wise prescience, very important international contracts were signed and their implementation was launched. Heydar Aliyev was the initiator of Azerbaijan's leading role in the realization of a number of world-scale economic programs of great political significance.
Heydar Aliyev has great merits in unity and solidarity of Azerbaijanis who had been scattered around the world during the merciless and severe trials of the history. He worked hard for the World Azerbaijanis to be organized, and unite closely around their only motherland, independent Azerbaijan, and made extremely important decisions to this end.
Heydar Aliyev is our contemporary of genius: the very fact is a source of pride for every Azerbaijani. At the same time, Heydar Aliyev is a great historical person presented to our people by destiny. He gave a powerful impetus to the process of the historical development of Azerbaijan. It was exactly Heydar Aliyev, the creator of the independent Azerbaijani state, who laid the ideological basis for our national statehood.
The colossal activity of Heydar Aliyev as a political and public figure devoted all his life to his people and left a deep trace in the history of the Azerbaijani people has become true school of public administration. There will be many generations of the Azerbaijan people to use this school and the rich heritage of Heydar Aliyev in the name of our country's development and welfare of our people.