A GLORIOUS CHAPTER IN HISTORY

The wise policies pursued under the strategic direction of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev helped to turn Azerbaijan into a country that is today economically dynamic and open, culturally diverse and politically stable

As a token of respect and gratitude to the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR), President Aliyev has officially declared this year as the Year of the Azer baijan Democratic Republic with celebrations set to take place across Azerbaijan and beyond to highlight the historic signif icance of this milestone event.

A hundred years ago, on 28th May, amid the tumults of the First World War, the people of Azerbaijan took the historic step to establish themselves as a democratic nation, the first Muslim nation to do so in East. Following the declaration of independ ence on 28th May 1918, a new independent, democratic and sovereign nation was born which opened a new, glorious chapter in the history of the Azerbaijani nation.

The founders of the republic immedi ately embarked on making wide ranging decisions that affected almost every aspect of political, economic and social life. Their

THE YEAR OF THE AZERBAIJAN DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC WILL BE MARKED WITH CELEBRATIONS SET TO TAKE PLACE ACROSS AZERBAIJAN AND BEYOND TO HIGHLIGHT THE HISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS MILESTONE EVENT

achievements include the creation of state institutions such as national parliament and a fully functioning government, issuance of national currency, adoption of Azerbaijani as the official language, creation of the first university - Baku State University, and establishing friendly and balanced diplo matic relations with both neighbouring and European states based on mutual benefits within a very short time span. These meas ures helped lay a strong foundation for an independent statehood which the modern Republic of Azerbaijan has proudly inher ited. Although it existed for 23 months between May 1918 and April 1920, its ideals and measures have had a lasting effect on the future generations. The ideals of sover eignty, independence and democracy were passed down from generation to genera tion during the Soviet period.

28TH MAY 1918 MADE ITS WAY INTO THE HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF AZERBAIJAN AS A GLORIOUS CHAPTER AND THE DAY THAT HAS SINCE BEEN CELEBRATED IN AZERBAIJAN AS THE NATIONAL DAY

What makes this short-lived democratic republic stand out is the fact it has instilled in the Azerbaijani nation an everlasting commitment to the ideals of independence, freedom and democratic values. Over the course of two years of its existence, the first parliament, repre senting not only all political forces but also all ethnic groups in Azerbaijan, was created and has been functioning as the supreme authority in the country. ADR governments pursued progressive poli cies in social and public spheres and in July 1919, in a landmark decision, they granted full voting rights to women well before most of the established Western democ racies. Among the most notable achievements is the recognition of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic by the international community during the Paris Peace Confer ence in January 1920. Thanks to the tireless efforts and outstanding diplomatic skills of the Azerbaijani delegation at the Paris Peace Conference, this decision of international recognition was undoubt edly the culmination of its two-year existence. These measures ensured the maintenance and strengthening of the fledgling independent nation for about two years in a volatile and hostile regional and international security environment. The fact that this milestone achievement was made possible with scarce mate rial resources and lack of experience in government and diplomatic matters makes it all the more significant. 28th May 1918 made its way into the history of the people of Azerbaijan as a glorious chapter and the day that has since been celebrated in Azerbaijan as the national day.

Since the regaining of independence on 18th October 1991, the Republic of Azer baijan has declared itself the successor to the first republic and has made huge strides in transforming itself across all areas while

Declaration of Independence

putting itself on the world map.

In the first years of independence of Azerbaijan, the country which was, on one hand, subject to Armenia’s occupation, and on the other, exposed to the intervention of external forces, thus being placed in the middle of chaos and anarchy. As the terri tories were being occupied, the national economy was collapsing and the social situ ation was worsening, the country needed a national leader, a prominent figure that will ensure a good fate for the nation. In the history of modern Azerbaijan, this person ality is undoubtedly Heydar Aliyev.

Heydar Aliyev, who always stood by his people, made the crucial efforts to keep Azerbaijan a truly independent country. He preserved the national iden tity by proclaiming Azerbaijani language as state language after independence was regained. The article 21 of the Constitu tion of Azerbaijan, adopted in 1995, says that the Azerbaijani language is the state language of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

National language represents the national identity of a country. It creates an environment to preserve your own cultural heritage, traditional values and all the valu able knowledge for next generations

The wise policies pursued under the strategic direction of the National Leader Heydar Aliyev and President Ilham Aliyev has earned Azerbaijan a reputation of a trusted and responsible member of the international community.

These policies have helped turn Azerbaijan into a country that is today economically dynamic and open, cultur ally diverse and multicultural and politically stable in a relatively fragile and difficult neighbourhood.