The Federation Council Speaker and Azerbaijan's Milli Majlis Speaker opened a photo exhibition dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev.
Federation Council Speaker Valentina Matvienko and Speaker of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan Sahiba Gafarova opened a photo exhibit titled “A Piece of my Soul is in Russia…” in the upper house of the Russian parliament. The exhibit is dedicated to the 100th anniversary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev. It was made possible with support from the Executive Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, news agencies and the state archives of the two countries.
The Federation Council Speaker said Heydar Aliyev was an outstanding statesman, national leader and founder of modern Azerbaijan. “He made an enormous contribution to the development of the Soviet Union and the Republic of Azerbaijan alike,” she said.
Valentina Matvienko noted that in the early 1990s, Heydar Aliyev responded to the Azerbaijani people’s request and took responsibility for his native republic. According to the Federation Council Speaker, he successfully put the country on the path of creative growth. “He laid the foundation for Azerbaijan to become a stable, prosperous and dynamically developing state.”
The Federation Council Speaker put a spotlight on the fact that Heydar Aliyev emphasised the promotion of friendship between the peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan. “He had great love for Russia, the Russian language and Russian culture.”
“The leaders of Russia and Azerbaijan, Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev, respectively, maintain the traditions of centuries-old Russian-Azerbaijani friendship. They have good and trust-based relations. The Declaration on Allied Interaction between Russia and Azerbaijan that was signed last year is a compelling example of deepening strategic ties,” Valentina Matvienko said.
The Federation Council Speaker mentioned the important role of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation which is led by First Vice-President of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva, in supporting bilateral humanitarian interaction.
Valentina Matvienko noted that a representative delegation from the Federation Council headed by First Deputy Federation Council Speaker Andrey Yatskin was taking part in the commemorative events in honour of the 100th anniversary of the birth of Heydar Aliyev in Baku. “Heydar Aliyev’s legacy is highly appreciated in Russia, and his name is forever inscribed in the history of our states. Good memories of him will continue into the future, and his life and deeds will serve as an example for many generations of the peoples of Russia and Azerbaijan.”
Sahiba Gafarova thanked the Federation Council and the Federation Council Speaker for the high quality of the exhibit. “For more than a third of a century now, the modern history of Azerbaijan has been associated with the name of the founder of national statehood and prominent political figure Heydar Aliyev.” According to Gafarova, his leadership, far-sighted policy and strong will manifested in full both in Soviet times and in the most fateful moments for Azerbaijan.
The Milli Majlis Speaker noted that after Heydar Aliyev had become the leader of Azerbaijan in 1969, the management style in all spheres of life changed dramatically. “The successful implementation of comprehensive development programmes led Azerbaijan to become one of the most economically advanced [Soviet] republics.”
Sahiba Gafarova said that being a member of the Politburo of the Central Committee of the CPSU and the First Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, Heydar Aliyev did a lot for the country and was instrumental in creating major infrastructure facilities, in particular, the construction of the Baikal-Amur Mainline.
“The traditions of friendship and neighbourliness steeped in history and deep ties between our countries, as well as the political dialogue and humanitarian cooperation are expanding dynamically today thanks to the efforts of the presidents of our states,” the head of the Milli Majlis added.
The Deputy Federation Council Speaker and Co-Chair of the Interparliamentary Commission on Cooperation between the Federal Assembly and the Milli Majlis, Galina Karelova, noted that 16 Russian regions provided photographs for the exhibit. She said that this means that the memory of Heydar Aliyev continues to live in many parts of the country. “He was an outstanding statesman,” she said. “Over the years of his leadership, light and heavy industry, and the oil industry, as well as the construction industry and agriculture grew at a fast pace in Azerbaijan.”
The deputy speaker noted that as First Deputy Chairman of the USSR Council of Ministers, Heydar Aliyev worked to expand international relations, to improve and modernise the economy, and to implement fundamental changes in the education system. “In the history of our country, Heydar Aliyev will forever remain a just and selfless person who was devoted to his cause and tirelessly cared about the well-being of the people,” Galina Karelova said.
Following a tour of the exhibit, Valentina Matvienko and Sahiba Gafarova had a brief meeting.