Congratulation by Heydar Aliyev, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, to the women of the Republic on the occasion of the International Women`s day - March 7, 2003

Dear women!

Dear mothers and sisters!

I cordially congratulate all of you - the Azerbaijani women on the occasion of the International Women`s Day.

Our women have played a distinguished role in the formation, development and protection of spiritual values of the Azerbaijani people which has made an important contribution to the world treasury of culture. Azerbaijani women, distinguished by their great innate talent, profound intellect and strong will, performing a fruitful activity in all the periods of our history have contributed to the solution of vital problems of our people. Names of many of them have been inscribed by golden letters to the pages of our centuries-old history.

The Azerbaijani people have always treated the women with respect. They play an important role in our society and occupy high positions in the government structures. The words of Motherland, land, language are dear, valuable and sacred to our people, they are identified with the word mother. Deep respect for woman, infinite maternal love found its brilliant embodiment in our monuments of literature and art. The distinguished representatives of our literature and culture praised the beauty, courage and moral purity of the Azerbaijani woman in their works.

The Azerbaijani woman has experienced a difficult and hard life, overcome the tests of history with courage, obtained the possibility of becoming an active member of the democratic society, established in our independent republic. Our women do their best for turning Azerbaijan into a prosperous, developing, successful and powerful country. The Azerbaijani women have special services in all the stages of our state building, they make every effort for strengthening the protection of social-political stability and order in the country, for the further consolidation of our national statehood, development of our culture.

Actually, in conditions of the aggression of Armenia against Azerbaijan, when a part of our native lands are under occupation, the Azerbaijani woman bears with honor the heavy responsibility of upbringing the youth in the spirit of devotion to the Motherland, displaying perseverance and willingness for the consolidation of independence, for ensuring the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, for bringing up worthy sons and daughters for the people, society, and all what she has done in this sphere is worth of appraise.

This holiday of the Azerbaijani woman is the holiday of all our people, our society it unites people more closely around the idea of independence. I hope that the Azerbaijani woman is profoundly realizing her role in the society, she will make great contributions to the progress of our Republic in future.

I wish health, happiness, in the family and successes to all of you.

A happy holiday!