It has been 31 years since the restoration of Azerbaijan's state independence

This year, the victorious Azerbaijani people are celebrating the 31st anniversary of the restoration of our state independence.

31 years ago, the Supreme Soviet of the Azerbaijan Republic adopted the Constitutional Act on State Independence. The extraordinary session, which started on October 8, discussed the matter for four days but decided to postpone the decision for a week. Finally, on October 18, 1991, the document was adopted during the session of the Supreme Soviet. This year, on October 15, the Milli Majlis, at the initiative of President Ilham Aliyev, approved the new Law on “Independence Day.” According to the law, May 28 was declared Independence Day, and October 18 was declared the Day of the Restoration of Independence.

Of course, it is harder to preserve independence than to gain it. In the early 1990s, the Azerbaijani people faced the danger of losing the independence they had just restored. However, in these difficult days, our people demonstrated determination and managed to take control of their destiny. In 1993, at the insistent request of the people, the great leader Heydar Aliyev returned to power in Azerbaijan, making our independence eternal and irreversible. In fact, Azerbaijan only achieved real independence after the return of Heydar Aliyev to power. The great leader eliminated the chaos and anarchy in the country and the economic, political, and moral tensions in society. The independent Azerbaijan Republic took a new course for development based on solid foundations. Declaring Azerbaijan the successor of the first democratic republic in the Muslim East, the Azerbaijan People's Republic, the great leader Heydar Aliyev began the process of modern state-building. Thanks to the tireless efforts of the great leader, Azerbaijan's voice was heard from the most prestigious international forums. In short, if Azerbaijan's independence was an event arising from historical necessity, its eternity and immutability are linked to the name of the great leader Heydar Aliyev.

The tireless efforts of the great leader to preserve and strengthen our independence are continued today by his worthy successor, President Ilham Aliyev. Building on the results of the great leader’s multifaceted activities, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, significant progress has been made in political, economic, social, and military spheres. Azerbaijan has become a country capable of influencing the course of strategic, political, and economic processes in its region. Mutual cooperation with most members of the international community is carried out in accordance with national interests. Thanks to the successful development strategy determined by the head of state, the country's economy ranks among the highest in the world in terms of growth rates.

The greatest dream of the great leader was the liberation of our occupied lands and the restoration of our territorial integrity. This dream was realized by his worthy successor, President Ilham Aliyev. In 2020, during the 44-day Patriotic War, under the leadership of President and Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, the Azerbaijani army won a glorious victory, ending the occupation, expelling the enemy from our lands, and restoring our territorial integrity. This historic victory showed the whole world that Azerbaijan's independence is eternal!