The Diplomat
On the occasion of the celebration of the bank holidays of the Republic of Azerbaijan, King Felipe VI congratulated its President, Ilham Aliyev, wishing him “my best wishes for personal well-being, peace and prosperity for the beloved people of Azerbaijan”, according to a note sent by the Azeri Embassy in Madrid.
In Azerbaijan, 28 May is celebrated as Republic Day and this event is related to what happened on this date in 1918, when the first parliamentary republic in the East, the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, declared independence.
The Embassy’s note states that “based on the values of a democratic, secular, parliamentary republic, in only 23 months of its legislature, measures were adopted in the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic that wrote a glorious page in the history of Azerbaijan by guaranteeing equal political and civil rights of citizens, without differentiation on the basis of origin, gender, religion and social status. State institutes, the formation of the Azerbaijan National Army, the promulgation of the Azerbaijani language as an official language and the approval of state attributes were also established”.
“With the restoration of its independence in 1991, the note adds, the Republic of Azerbaijan was widely perceived as its political and spiritual successor. In the early years of its sovereignty, Azerbaijan faced difficult trials. As a result of Armenia’s ethnic cleansing policy against the Azerbaijani people, 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s territory, the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts were occupied; one million Azerbaijanis became refugees and internally displaced persons”.
“In this difficult period, on 15 June 1993, at the request of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev returned to power. Thanks to his wise policy and great experience, stability was achieved in the country in a short period of time; on 20 September 1994, the “Contract of the Century” was signed. Azerbaijan became a full member of prestigious international organisations”, the Embassy’s text says
“Military aggression and terrorist acts against Azerbaijan did not break the will of our people, and under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the territories of Azerbaijan, including the ancient city of Shusha, the cradle of Azerbaijani culture, were liberated”, the note conclude.
