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National development strategy defined by Heydar Aliyev laid foundation for path to historic Victory - OPINION

05 October 2026 14:08 (UTC +04:00)

The political legacy of National Leader Heydar Aliyev constitutes one of the most important stages in the history of Azerbaijan’s independent statehood, and the national development strategy shaped on the basis of this legacy laid the foundation for the country’s path to historic Victory, Azar Badamov, a member of the Board of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP) and a member of the Milli Majlis, told APA.

Establishment of YAP marked beginning of path to victories

The MP noted that, as President Ilham Aliyev also emphasized in his speech at the 8th Congress of YAP, the establishment of the New Azerbaijan Party in 1992 became an important turning point in Azerbaijan’s subsequent political history.

“At that time, the political crisis prevailing in the country, the struggle for power, and economic and social difficulties created the need to form a new political course before society. The founding congress of the New Azerbaijan Party was an expression of the people’s political will and trust in a new leader. In fact, the beginning of Azerbaijan’s current victories also dates back to that period. Subsequent developments showed that this was not merely the establishment of a political party, but a historic event in terms of determining the future development path of Azerbaijan. Heydar Aliyev’s return to power in 1993 at the demand of the people became a decisive stage in preserving statehood. At that time, the main issue was not merely a change of government, but preserving Azerbaijan’s existence as an independent state and strengthening state institutions,” he said.

Harsh realities of the 1990s

Azar Badamov said it is impossible to fully assess the essence of Heydar Aliyev’s statehood policy without taking into account the situation that emerged in Azerbaijan in the early 1990s.

“During the period of the AXC-Musavat government, the country had effectively fallen into an ungovernable state. Territorial losses continued, the economy was in a severe crisis, political confrontation in society deepened, and contradictions within the government intensified. The views expressed by President Ilham Aliyev in his speech at the congress regarding the realities of that period also show that the problems facing the state at that time were extremely serious. In this regard, the activities of the AXC-Musavat government and the consequences of its failed policy also affected Azerbaijan’s subsequent development.

“One of the notable points in Azerbaijan’s history is the political behavior demonstrated by those who led the country during crises in different periods. Of the four leaders who headed Azerbaijan after Heydar Aliyev, both during the Soviet period and independence, three left Baku under difficult political circumstances. This is one of the examples showing how important responsibility for statehood and political leadership are. Heydar Aliyev’s difference was that he assumed responsibility in the most difficult and dangerous circumstances and pursued a consistent policy aimed at resolving the problems facing the state,” the MP said.

Unchanging core of the national development strategy

The MP emphasized that one of the main features of Heydar Aliyev’s political legacy was the renewal of tactical and strategic goals in accordance with changing circumstances, while the fundamental principles of state policy remained unchanged.

“At different stages of the national development strategy defined by Heydar Aliyev, tactical and even certain strategic objectives could change in line with the requirements of the time. However, the main line of this policy never changed. This line consisted of preserving Azerbaijan’s independence, strengthening statehood, ensuring economic independence, creating a strong army and using the country’s potential with maximum efficiency.

“As a result of Heydar Aliyev’s far-sighted policy, Azerbaijan first laid the foundations for building a politically and economically sustainable state and later created opportunities to transform this potential into military power. As a result of this strategy, Azerbaijan strengthened its economic independence, built its energy policy on the basis of national interests, reinforced its international positions and created the necessary economic base for building strong military potential in the future. These processes are not separate from one another. Without a strong economy, there can be no strong army, and without a strong army, it would not have been possible to restore territorial integrity and sovereignty,” he said.

Continuity of political legacy led to Victory

Azar Badamov said President Ilham Aliyev’s continuation of Heydar Aliyev’s political course in accordance with the realities of the modern era made it possible to achieve Azerbaijan’s strategic objectives.

“The statehood line defined by the National Leader was enriched with new content at the next stage, and all available resources were mobilized toward the country’s main national objective — restoring territorial integrity and sovereignty. Today, when speaking about the historic Victory, it would be incorrect to mean only the 44-day Patriotic War and the full restoration of our sovereignty in 2023. Behind the Victory stand many years of state-building, economic development, army-building, expansion of international relations and strengthening of national solidarity. The political and strategic foundation of this path is the philosophy of statehood formed by Heydar Aliyev.

“Azerbaijan has now entered a new stage as a state that has achieved the goals it set for itself. One of the most important features of Heydar Aliyev’s political legacy is that it can be developed over time. This legacy is not a political concept left in the past. On the contrary, it is a school of statehood that is being developed in accordance with the new tasks facing modern Azerbaijan.

“Today, the main task is to preserve the achievements made, further increase the strength of our state, strengthen our economic and military potential, and continue our independent policy. Preserving the historic Victory and ensuring future successes also depend precisely on the continuity of this political legacy,” he said.