US ex-envoy, presidential aide hail national leader's role in Azerbaijan's progress

Azerbaijan has achieved great development thanks to the efforts of late national leader Heydar Aliyev.

The remarks came from Matthew Bryza, international expert, member of the Board of Jamestown Foundation and former US ambassador to Azerbaijan, according to Report.

He said the international conference dedicated to the 100th anniversary of Heydar Aliyev was a remarkable event.

"Every year, ADA University brings together experts, diplomats, ambassadors, former and current, from all over the world to understand and discuss what is happening in Azerbaijan. And it works out very well, as Azerbaijan is rapidly developing," he said.

Bryza noted that this year's event was dedicated to the legacy of Heydar Aliyev.

"It is amazing how deep his strategic vision was and how difficult the situation in Azerbaijan was when he came to power - war, economic recession, no oil and gas industry, no pipelines," he said, adding that now everything has changed thanks to smart investments, national strategy, human capital.

Moreover, presidential aide Shahmar Movsumov stressed that Heydar Aliyev played an important role in geopolitical processes in the entire region.

According to him, at the time when Aliyev came to power, the Azerbaijani economy was in a state of deep recession, and the president made a huge contribution to ensuring its stability.

"To solve the problem, Heydar Aliyev decided to focus on an important industry - the oil industry. Then the national oil strategy was created, which included several directions. To begin with, it is the restoration of the volume of investments in the industry and the invitation of international companies to Azerbaijan," he said.

According to Movsumov, the second important direction was that Azerbaijan would supply oil resources to the international market.

"President [Heydar] Aliyev also knew that large oil revenues could bring instability, so he made a very wise decision - the creation of an Oil Fund," he added.

The presidential aide noted that President Ilham Aliyev continues his father's policy, setting new goals and priorities for national development.

"The five main priorities of Azerbaijan at the moment are sustainable economic growth, a society of social justice, the development of human capital, a great return to the liberated territories and sustainable green technologies," he said.