BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 3. President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev delivered important messages at
the congress of the “New Azerbaijan” Party (NAP). Political analyst
Azer Garayev told Trend.
Garayev noted that the 8th Congress of the “New Azerbaijan”
Party, held the day before, was not merely an event at which the
party’s activities were assessed and tasks for the coming period
were defined.
“The congress, held on October 2 at the Heydar Aliyev Center,
was marked by important messages in the speech by President Ilham
Aliyev, who is also the chairman of the YAP, indicating that
Azerbaijan has already entered a completely new political and
geopolitical phase,” he added.
“This was one of the most notable aspects of the speech. On the
one hand, President Ilham Aliyev reflected on the work accomplished
over more than 30 years and the victory in Karabakh; on the other
hand, he presented the tasks ahead in a broader context. Security,
military power, the ideological struggle, foreign policy, the
economy, energy, transit, and the reconstruction of Karabakh were
presented as separate components of a unified strategy.
One of the most notable points in President Ilham Aliyev’s
speech was that, despite the restoration of Azerbaijan’s
territorial integrity and sovereignty, building up military power
remains one of the main priorities for the coming period.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed this quite clearly: “First of all,
one of the main tasks is to increase our military power.”
The significance of this position lies in the fact that
Azerbaijan is no longer, as it once was, in a state of unresolved
conflict. An important stage has been reached in the peace process
with Armenia; the situation on the border is stable; and contacts
and even trade relations have begun between the two countries.
Despite this, President Ilham Aliyev is not removing the issue of
military strength from the agenda,” he stated.
According to him, this is not merely a matter of preparing for a
possible war. Against the backdrop of global developments, a
state’s ability to ensure its own security also constitutes a
distinct strategic advantage. In his speech, President Ilham
Aliyev, drawing attention to the ongoing conflicts surrounding
Azerbaijan on various fronts, emphasized the importance of taking
this reality into account.
“This approach also has financial implications. The state budget
for next year plans to allocate approximately 9 billion manat ($5.2
billion) to defense and security. In other words, President Ilham
Aliyev’s message, delivered at the congress, is not merely a
political statement but one of the concrete pillars of state
policy.”
Another important part of the speech focused on Azerbaijan’s
foreign policy. Here, the main emphasis was placed on building
relations with various centers of power without aligning with any
particular geopolitical camp, and on protecting the country’s own
interests.
President Ilham Aliyev noted that Azerbaijan has established
strategic partnerships with China and the US, maintains strategic
partnerships with 10 European Union member states, and has taken
its relations with Central Asian countries to a new level.
President Ilham Aliyev expressed the essence of this policy as
follows: “We, however, do not join any camp and will not join one –
we do not need to.”
This statement effectively reflects one of the key features of
the foreign policy course that Azerbaijan has pursued in recent
years. Baku cooperates with various parties, but it does not base
this cooperation on membership in any particular bloc.
As a result, Azerbaijan positions itself not only as a country in
the South Caucasus but also as a player capable of serving as a
bridge in various regional and global processes.
It is no coincidence that President Ilham Aliyev’s speech placed
special emphasis on the fact that Azerbaijan has recently become a
venue for meetings between representatives of countries that are
competing with or in conflict with one another. This is an
important point, indicating that Azerbaijan’s diplomatic
capabilities are not limited to bilateral relations,” the political
scientist stated.
Garaev noted that one of the most interesting topics that drew
attention at the congress was the ideas related to ideological
security.
“President Ilham Aliyev stated that in today’s world, national
security is ensured not only by border protection and military
capabilities. In his words: ‘Ideological security is just as
important as physical security.’ This approach is particularly
relevant in an era of rapid development in information technology.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized that ideological influence knows
no boundaries in the age of the internet, cyberattacks, and
artificial intelligence. This is not merely a matter of increasing
the volume of information resources. It is about the resilience of
society in the face of various information flows. President Ilham
Aliyev identified education and patriotism as key factors in this
regard. At the same time, a new task was assigned to the YAP.
President Ilham Aliyev emphasized the importance of moving away
from outdated and formalistic approaches in the party’s ideological
work: “Therefore, the time has come to properly structure
ideological work, abandon clichés, and move away from purely formal
events. Modern ideological work must be conducted.” “This idea is
one of the most concrete messages from the congress regarding the
party’s future activities. In other words, it is not simply a
matter of continuing organizational activities, but of developing
new working methods in line with the changing information
environment,” he said.
The political analyst emphasized that economic issues also
featured prominently in President Ilham Aliyev’s speech at the
congress. The main focus was on transforming the political and
security opportunities Azerbaijan has gained into economic
advantages.
“The following figures were presented as key indicators of the
country’s financial capabilities: foreign exchange reserves reached
$90 billion, the ratio of external debt to GDP stood at 5.6%, and
the total value of contracts signed at the last two Azerbaijan
International Investment Forums exceeded $20 billion. However, the
results of economic policy are not measured solely by macroeconomic
indicators. At the congress, President Ilham Aliyev stated that
growth in household incomes and social benefits will also continue:
“Instructions have already been issued that next year the minimum
wage, pensions, and social allowances will be raised.” This
statement occupies an important place in the economic section of
the speech. After all, the expansion of the state’s financial
capabilities is aimed at simultaneously improving the social
well-being of the population. President Ilham Aliyev also noted in
his speech that this policy is ongoing and its goal is “to improve
the welfare of the Azerbaijani people year to year,” the political
analyst noted.
In addition, Garayev noted that in recent years, the consistent
implementation of increases in wages, pensions, and social benefits
has become one of the main pillars of this policy. The announcement
of new increases indicates that this social policy will continue
into the next phase. The key point here is that economic stability
and increased financial opportunities are complemented by measures
that directly impact people’s daily lives.
“At the same time, President Ilham Aliyev stated that Azerbaijan
has set even more ambitious economic goals for itself. In this
regard, transportation and logistics are of particular
importance.
"I have set a goal for transit cargo passing through Azerbaijan’s
territory to reach 30 million tons in the medium term,” the head
stated noted.
This goal reflects the continued growth of the role of
transportation and logistics in Azerbaijan’s future economic model.
Azerbaijan seeks to strengthen its position not only as an energy
exporter but also as a key link in the East-West and North-South
corridors. Increased transit traffic means not only higher
government revenues but also new logistics opportunities,
investments, and thousands of jobs. The reconstruction of Karabakh
and Eastern Zangezur also remains a key part of this overall
strategy. Noting that 96,000 people currently live, work, and study
in these regions, President Ilham Aliyev stated that 28 billion
manats have already been allocated for the development of these
regions. Thus, the messages conveyed in the economic section
complement one another: financial stability is being maintained,
investment attraction is expanding, new transit opportunities are
being created, and the economic opportunities achieved are planned
to be utilized in the future. The focus is on improving the
well-being of the population through social policy. In this regard,
President Ilham Aliyev’s announcement regarding increases in wages,
pensions, and social benefits was a significant development that
complemented the social component of the economic messages
delivered at the congress," Garayev added.
