The Remembrance Day of National Leader Heydar Aliyev is marked in Azerbaijan.

The presence of a national state is one of the most significant criteria in the process of nations progressing toward specified goals. Only those who have recognized themselves as national ethnic groups have been able to construct and sustain a national state, joining as a fist in the most difficult moments of history to achieve certain goals.

It is possible to state with great pleasure that the Azerbaijani people succeeded in turning the wheel of time and history in their favor. Naturally, it was difficult and expensive. The phenomenon of historical personality undertakes the job of returning each nation to its national-ethnic roots in favorable historical conditions, as demonstrated by practice.

The Azerbaijani people reunited with their historical identity in the 20th century and, starting from the early 70s of the last century, by the end of the 1990s witnessed bold steps and particular decisions taken towards the formation of powerful Azerbaijan as an independent Azerbaijani state. Heydar Aliyev's signature on this rise is indisputable. If it were not for the processes of saving the nation from the claws of those who wanted to lead it to the abyss, when in the most difficult time for the country, after the restoration of Azerbaijan's independence, the national leader made his efforts and contribution, the factor of today's powerful Azerbaijan would not have been possible.

Heydar Aliyev implemented a number of important measures in those years to preserve national spiritual values, national spirit, nationalization of cadres, systematization of the ideology of Azerbaijanism, his steps for the future of Azerbaijan, protection of the national interests of its people, and revival of their self-consciousness, which have been fruitful in a short time.

Undoubtedly, if not for the measures taken by great leader Heydar Aliyev in the period of his first leadership of the Republic for socio-economic and cultural growth in Azerbaijan and the work done in the direction of awakening the national consciousness, today it would be even more difficult to talk about the existence of Azerbaijan as a sovereign state with an independent line.

It is with the name of great leader Heydar Aliyev that the formation of the national path of development and ideology of the Azerbaijani people, who restored their statehood and gained freedom by the end of the last century, is connected. The initial stage of the development of the new Azerbaijan falls during the period of the great leader's leadership of the independent republic.

The national leader, working with all his soul and blood on the development of the ideology of Azerbaijan, feeling his attachment and love for the Motherland at every step, did an important job of turning national solidarity into the main line of new Azerbaijan's state policy that regained its independence. He managed to realize the deep political and theoretical bases of national unity through his work and decisions. The great strategist united historically separate components of Azerbaijanism into a single system and concept, turning it into a scientific-theoretical basis for state governance. It was through Heydar Aliyev's efforts that Azerbaijanism got an opportunity to be realized in practice, carrying essentially actual meaning.

This factor has played a very important role in the formation of a strong Azerbaijan today. Because the great leader understood very well that people without high feelings of statehood, patriotism, and national spirit will not be able to develop a national state, protect it from all threats, and turn it into a victorious state.

The state policy of great leader Heydar Aliyev, aimed at further development of the nation, was directed in such a way that compatriots gathered around a single nationwide idea, demonstrating the willpower and strength of the Azerbaijani people and their unity capable of solving seemingly difficult problems. Naturally, it was clear earlier that this ideology is aimed, in particular, at the settlement of the Karabakh conflict and the liberation of lands from occupation. The policy initiated in due time by Heydar Aliyev and developed with great success by President Ilham Aliyev helped turn Azerbaijan into a more independent, bigger, and stronger state.

Now that Azerbaijan, which put an end to the 30-year occupation of its land by Armenia, has restored its territorial integrity, gained sovereignty, and becomes an important player not only in the South Caucasus region but also in Europe and Asia, it shows its weight as one of the key figures.

Undoubtedly, Heydar Aliyev laid the foundation for all the steps to these victories. Regardless of political views, everyone today recognizes that the national unity achieved in Azerbaijan after Heydar Aliyev's return to power in 1993 by the people's will is one of the most valuable spiritual-ideological riches of Azerbaijan. If Heydar Aliyev, embodied in the eyes of the people as an integral national personality, during his second leadership of Azerbaijan with his inherent foresight and wisdom, had misidentified the strategic goals in foreign policy from the first day, most likely, the victory in Karabakh would not have been so close for Azerbaijan.

However, the political line initiated by the great leader on the basis of all of Azerbaijan's ideology played a key role in achieving very important goals set by President Ilham Aliyev during his 20 years of leadership. Now Azerbaijan is the strongest Azerbaijan in history and is becoming more majestic day by day, turning into a state capable of defending the interests of its people, and the number of people reckoning with Azerbaijan is growing day by day.

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