Заявление Милли Меджлиса Азербайджанской Республики о разграблении и узурпации национального культурного достояния Азербайджана

Speech by Mr. Murtuz Aleskerov, Chairman of Milli Mejlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the Conference of Association of Asian Parliaments for Peace (AAPP) (Chongqing, 18 April, 2002)

Appeal of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dedicated to the Day of Solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis (Baku, 22 December 2001)

Statement by Mr. Vilayat Guliyev, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the General debate of the fifty-sixth session of the General Assembly (New York, 14 November 2001)

Speech by Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Head of the delegation of the Parliament of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE) (Strasbourg, September 25, 2001)

Address by Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Head of the Parliamentary Delegation of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the PACE on item "Europe's fight against economic and transnational organized crime" (Strasbourg, April 23-27, 2001)

Address by His Excellency Mr. Heydar Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the session of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (Strasbourg, January 25, 2001)

TO AZERBAIJANIS OF THE WORLD

Dear Azerbaijanis!
Dear compatriots and country fellows!

It is for over a decade that December 31 - the Day of Solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis has been celebrated by citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan and our country fellows residing abroad as a state holiday. On December 16, 1991, the Supreme Assembly of the Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan adopted a resolution on marking the 31st of December as a holiday of solidarity and unity of Azerbaijanis of the world.

This dear historical day is the logic conclusion of the consolidation of our national consciousness and strengthening of freedom movement, being an embodiment of the rebirth, progress and national unity of our people, calls on our compatriots to think over their historical Motherland, national dignity, their destiny.

Landmark events happened in life of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan current year. The Republic of Azerbaijan, as a free, democratic country, a full member of families of the European peoples, celebrated its tenth anniversary of state independence, achieved successes, to be proud of, in all spheres of life - in state building, economy, ensuring democracy and human rights, and admitted to the Council of Europe. Oil strategy of the Azerbaijan state, making Azerbaijan one of the centers of power-economic projects of the world, started to give its real fruits, laying of the oil pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and gas pipeline Baku-Tbilisi-Ersurum have become realities of the day. In Baku, was held the First Forum of the World Azerbaijanis, which became an important event at the present history of our people, the work for organizing our compatriots and strengthening their organization reached a new phase.

At the heart of unity and solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis - the urgent task of historical self-determination of our people - lay the ideas of Azerbaijani and Azerbaijan statehood. The idea of Azerbaijani envisions, first of all, the development of conscience of the national dignity of Azerbaijani, their national-moral values, language, culture, customs and traditions, passed the test of time, creation on the base of this idea the unity of Azerbaijanis with their historical Motherland and among themselves. At the same time, the independent Azerbaijan state is a mighty factor for solidarity of Azerbaijanis of the world, a reliable buttress for their organizing, their admission to the world communities in the capacity of an authoritative force. The state of Azerbaijan supports human rights and legal interests of Azerbaijanis of the world. The state of Azerbaijan is a reliable defender and owner of the rich material, spiritual-moral, intellectual values, gifted by our people along the history to the world culture, on behalf of Azerbaijan.

One of the most important and holiest duties of the World Azerbaijanis is to defend and preserve the independent statehood, as a historical achievement of the Azerbaijani people, the consequence of the moral-political will of Azerbaijanis of the world, make efforts that our national state held a worthy place in the world community.

Existence of the independent state of Azerbaijan, its resolute move along the path of establishing a democratic, secular, legal society promotes the evolution of thinking, connected with the national independence and statehood, not only of citizens of the Republic of Azerbaijan, but also the Azerbaijanis of the whole world, as well as their solidarity.

Our country fellows should closely unite around the idea of Azerbaijan statehood, demonstrate an inviolable solidarity in the nation-wide questions, widely use for this purpose the opportunities of the Azerbaijan communities, centers of cultures, and societies of friendship. Unity and solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis will also exert a considerable impact on the opportunity of expressing itself in the countries of their permanent residence, and over the entire world in the capacity of a mighty and monolithic force, more reliably defend its national and civil rights.

Today the problem of national unity and solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis is treated in the Republic of Azerbaijan as a state policy, the issues of forming the Azerbaijan diaspora, establishment and strengthening of the connections of the World Azerbaijanis with each other and with their historical Motherland has directly been put on the agenda. Was given start to unification of the World Azerbaijanis around the real idea of national self-consciousness and nation-wide idea - the Azerbaijani , independent statehood and national-moral values.

The First Forum of World Azerbaijanis was a real step in this direction, defined the true strategic program for our national unity, solidarity, forming the abroad-residing Azerbaijanis as a diaspora, and support by them their interests, rights, ideas of Azerbaijani on the international level. Organizing of the abroad-residing Azerbaijanis, movement of their diaspora will, certainly, strengthen, the level of organization be risen, and on the whole world be supported the ideas of Azerbaijani. It will, at the same time, gradually rise the impact of Azerbaijanis in the socio-political, cultural-economic life of the states of world, their political circles.

Today Azerbaijanis of the world, experiencing a responsible and glorious phase of awakening their history, represent a single people, single nation, single historical Motherland. In all the countries of world, the Azerbaijanis should appear as worthy carriers of Azerbaijan culture, language, customs and traditions, mentality. Therefore, support and preservation of sound national customs and traditions, spiritual-moral values, handing them over to the young generation is a holy duty before Azerbaijanis of the world, irrespective of their residence, before the historical Motherland. I would like to express my confidence that every Azerbaijani will do his utmost for realization of these honorary duties, as well as important decisions, adopted by the First Forum of World Azerbaijanis.

I once again extend my congratulations with the approaching Day of Solidarity of Azerbaijanis of the World, wish each of you happiness, welfare and calm.

Heydar Aliyev,
President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

Baku, 22 December 2001.