Baku hosts "Heydar Aliyev 100: Life and Legacy" event

Baku's Heydar Aliyev Centre hosts the "Heydar Aliyev 100: Life and Legacy" event to mark the 100th anniversary of Azerbaijani national leader Heydar Aliyev.

The meeting brings together participants of the 10th Global Baku Forum, MPs, state officials and media representatives, Report informs.

The event includes panel sessions titled "World Leaders' Respect to Heydar Aliyev's Legacy" and "Constructing National Identity".

Addressing the meeting, President of Albania Bayram Begaj said Heydar Aliyev had a special authority among the political leaders of the world.

"Heydar Aliyev's name is associated with institutional reforms and economic development in Azerbaijan,” he noted.

The president mentioned that both Albania and Azerbaijan had communist regimes.

A special leader was needed to get out of the dictatorship and create a country. Heydar Aliyev was able to cope with all the tasks set before him.

"I believe that today the efforts to protect Heydar Aliyev's heritage will continue," he further said.

“Heydar Aliyev has greatly contributed to the development of the people and the region. He always thought about the future of Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev mobilized all his capabilities for the country’s future.”

Meanwhile, former Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko said that Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev has coped with the most difficult task - the formation of the nation.

According to him, the people of Azerbaijan were very lucky to have Heydar Aliyev as their leader, who was able to maintain a balance in everything in the most difficult times.

He noted that he had the honour to receive Heydar Aliyev in Ukraine when he was the head of Ukraine’s Central Bank and received an order to print Azerbaijan's first national currency.

The event was followed by remarks from former Bulgarian President Peter Stoyanov, who said that Azerbaijan's national leader Heydar Aliyev played an important role in strengthening cooperation between Bulgaria and Azerbaijan.

He noted that Heydar Aliyev brought Azerbaijan to the global arena with his political wisdom.

"He saved Azerbaijan from the difficulties and dangers that the country faced during the conflict period [in the 1990s]," he added.

Former Georgian Prime Minister Eka Tkeshelashvili said that Heydar Aliyev had laid the foundations of national identity in Azerbaijan.

She stressed that Heydar Aliyev had done a lot for the development of Azerbaijan during his leadership. It was during his era that the foundations of national identity in Azerbaijan were laid.

"The policy and worldview of Heydar Aliyev were an example for our generation," the ex-PM said.

He noted that at present the energy policy of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev should be considered as the energy support of Europe.