Azerbaijan President Heydar Aliyev`s Speech at the meeting with the representatives of the Azerbaijan cultural society in America - Chicago, August 04, 1997

Distinguished compatriots!

I am very pleased that outside the republic, as well as in the United States of America, the Azerbaijanis are already getting together more closely and establishing societies. It is true that now the Azerbaijanis have spread to all parts of the world. You cannot find a country where there is no Azerbaijani. In one country, there are many, in another there are few. But, unfortunately, the Azerbaijanis who live in different countries cannot get organized and establish good contacts with each other.

After our country gained its independence, even before it, when we were still in the Soviet Union, there was an Armenian lobby in the United States creating an opinion against Azerbaijan. The Armenian lobby, Diaspora, is strong in America. When I ask how many Armenians live in the United States of America, someone says one million and others fewer than that.

A voice fromthe audience: Mr. President, 700,000 Armenians live in America.

Heydar Aliyev: 700,000. As far as I understand, many Armenians live in California. It seems to me that you know it more exactly. You say that 700,000 Armenians live in America. The United States has a population of 30 million people. Mind that in the country with the population of 300 million people, 700,000 Armenians are able to influence U.S. policy. This is true that the relations between the Armenians and Azerbaijanis are bad. There is a conflict between Armenia and Azerbaijan, a war is being waged. There was much Armenian-Azerbaijani bloodshed in the past too. Some people may not like the Armenians, but the Armenians feel very strongly about their nation. We must admit it and say it.

I don`t know how many Azerbaijanis live in the United States of America. Anyway, I have been twice to New York, Washington D.C, Houston, and now I have come here to Chicago. I see few Azerbaijanis here. The American Azerbaijanis do not consist of only those who are here today. It may be that not everyone has been able to come here. You said that you have established a society. How many members are there in this society? Do the American Azerbaijanis think of Azerbaijan or not?

The 99% of the American Armenians do not know at all where Nagorny-Garabagh is. Nagorny Garabagh is a small mountainous area. After getting some education, finishing secondary school, those Armenians who live in this territory go to different cities, study there and do not come back. I was the state leader of Azerbaijan in the Soviet period too, and know all about it. Some Armenians from Nagorny-Garabagh stay in Yerevan, but the majority go to Russia or other countries. There are all in all 80,000 Armenians in Nagorny-Garabagh now. But wherever an Armenian is, he is sure to think of Nagorny-Garabagh.

The issue raised in Nagorny-Garabagh is quite false. They have brought it to the extreme on purpose. Recently I have been told that the Armenians in Armenia want a peaceful solution of the conflict more than the Armenians in America. The American Armenians say that Nagorny-Garabagh should be independent and be annexed to Armenia. One should ask them why do you say so, once you are in America?

See, his national devotion has led him to such feelings.

Now, 20% of the Azerbaijani territory is occupied. More than one million of our compatriots have been forcibly driven from their homes. In the country with a population of seven million and half, one million citizens are refugees and live in tents. There is no other country in the world with so many refugees proportionately. But let us see if the Azerbaijanis who live abroad, think of this not? Excuse me for talking to you so openly.

You know I was at the head of Azerbaijani state for 14 years in the past. Then for five years I was one of the persons who led the Soviet Union and again I showed my concern over Azerbaijan. After this for six years, I faced different deprivations. Perhaps you know all about it. But wherever I am, my heart is always with Azerbaijan. For five years I lived in the Kremlin, Moscow, and was one of the highest officials in the Soviet Union. I had responsibilities in the entire Soviet Union. But my heart was in Azerbaijan. Within those five years, I did a lot for Azerbaijan. I don`t want to praise myself. The trouble for Azerbaijan started in 1987, when the Armenians got together with some of our Azerbaijanis and succeeded in my resignation from the Kremlin.

Only 20 days after my resignation, the Nagorny-Garabagh issue was raised. There is an Armenian, Aganbekyan, by the name. He has never lived in Armenia or in Nagorny Garabagh in his life, he has always lived in Moscow. He is a scientist. That time this Aganbekyan went to France with a statement that Nagorny-Garabagh should be annexed to Armenia and he had agreed the issue with Gorbachov. Two months later, an uprising conflict broke out in Nagorny-Garabagh. And the misfortunes of Azerbaijan have started since then.

See, his national devotion has led him to such feelings.

Now, 20% of the Azerbaijani territory is occupied. More than one million of our compatriots have been forcibly driven from their homes. In the country with a population of seven million and half, one million citizens are refugees and live in tents. There is no other country in the world with so many refugees proportionately. But let us see if the Azerbaijanis who live abroad, think of this not? Excuse me for talking to you so openly.

You know I was at the head of Azerbaijani state for 14 years in the past. Then for five years I was one of the persons who led the Soviet Union and again I showed my concern over Azerbaijan. After this for six years, I faced different deprivations. Perhaps you know all about it. But wherever I am, my heart is always with Azerbaijan. For five years I lived in the Kremlin, Moscow, and was one of the highest officials in the Soviet Union. I had responsibilities in the entire Soviet Union. But my heart was in Azerbaijan. Within those five years, I did a lot for Azerbaijan. I don`t want to praise myself. The trouble for Azerbaijan started in 1987, when the Armenians got together with some of our Azerbaijanis and succeeded in my resignation from the Kremlin.

Only 20 days after my resignation, the Nagorny-Garabagh issue was raised. There is an Armenian, Aganbekyan, by the name. He has never lived in Armenia or in Nagorny Garabagh in his life, he has always lived in Moscow. He is a scientist. That time this Aganbekyan went to France with a statement that Nagorny-Garabagh should be annexed to Armenia and he had agreed the issue with Gorbachov. Two months later, an uprising conflict broke out in Nagorny-Garabagh. And the misfortunes of Azerbaijan have started since then.

That time the Armenians had one aim - to debar Heydar Aliyev from the Kremlin. They knew I was holding a position in Moscow and I would not allow them to raise such an issue. They debarred me from the Kremlin. Not only they, but also some of our malevolent Azerbaijanis helped this happen. They joined and removed me from the Kremlin. And what hasn`t Azerbaijan suffered since then.

During the 14 years when I was at the head of Azerbaijan, to what levels didn`t I raise our republic? We lived under the Soviet regime. And could we change that regime? But the matter is what you do for your people, for your nation, though under this regime. If you cannot change the regime, you must make use of its opportunities to help your people. I did it. Azerbaijan reached high points those years, but as I have mentioned before, in 1988 the decline of Azerbaijan started. Azerbaijan suffered these misfortunes. A part of the Azerbaijan territory was occupied. One leader in the country overthrew another. What was overthrown by the third. Azerbaijan has become what it is now.

A civil war broke out in Azerbaijan in 1993.1 was speaking about President Lincoln at the previous meeting today. Yes, if it had not been for President Lincoln, the United Stated of America would have been split then. The North was waging a war against the South. The country was getting split. Lincoln united the United States of America. And a few years ago, Azerbaijan was getting divided, too.

In 1993, Azerbaijan had already been split. A civil war was on in the country, the brothers were shooting at each other. The Armenian armed forces were invading our territory, while people were firing at each other and killing each other in Azerbaijan. Why? One wanted to be in power, another wanted to be in power too. This is both our malady and trouble. This is our drawback from the national point of view.

Thanks God, we have established stability in Azerbaijan. But at what expense has it been established? You must be reading newspapers and know that we prevented the civil war in Azerbaijan with great difficulty. But the Armenian armed forces made use of the situation in our Republic and invaded some more districts of our country. Of course, they would invade, for within the Republic the people were fighting against each other - one said that he would be in power, another said, \"No, I`ll be in power.\" They used the weapons available against each other. They didn`t fire at the Armenians. That is why the Armenian armed forces advanced and invaded a part of our territory.

It has been more than three years since we achieved cease-fire in the war. We have abolished different armed forces in the country and established stability and safety. I spoke about these in the previous meeting, too. Now the economy in Azerbaijan is developing quite independently. The inflation in the country was 1800% in 1994, 84% in 1995, 6% in 1996. And in the first half of 1997, the inflation was 0%. Imagine that these results have been achieved at the time when 20% of our territory is under occupation, more than two million of our compatriots are refugees, most of them are unemployed.

The national currency in Azerbaijan is strengthened. Lately the rate of manat against dollar has increased for 15%. The volume of foreign trade has increased for 40%. Last year the economic crisis of the country stopped. Now there is a rapid development in the economy. The production of industrial, agricultural products and the GDP is increasing. We are carrying out the privatization, changing the economy, giving the lands to the people as their personal property. We have adopted a law on it.

As you know, once the lands and live-stock in the Republic were the collective property. Now all of them have been given to individuals. And it has very good results. In Azerbaijan there is no such a problem of importing meat, milk, butter now, because all of them are in the private sector. But in the Soviet period we witnessed these difficulties, for the state was expected to do all of them. But the state couldn`t afford all this. Now we are distributing the lands too. No doubt, this process will be over in a year or two. Good results have been achieved in the places where a year ago the lands were distributed.

In Azerbaijan, economic reforms are being held and democracy has been established. We are establishing a democratic secular society in the country. But we cannot allow the religion to dominate in our country. Our country is an open cultural country. The doors of Azerbaijan are open to both the West and the East. Whoever wants, let him/her come. But what is our trouble, our difficulty? See, we cannot have this truth proved.

As you know, five years ago the U.S. Congress adopted Section 907 against Azerbaijan. I have been the President of Azerbaijan for four years. I have been trying for two years to have this section repealed. Some people tell me that it is impossible. But during this official visit to the U.S., at all the meetings beginning from New York to Chicago I felt that there have been great changes in this sphere. For example, at the meeting with the head of an American company even before I touched upon the problem, he said to me that they are trying to repeal section 907. This is a great change. We are doing a lot in order to repeal Section 907.

Today I met with the leaders of many prestigious American companies. I had not met some of them until today. But at these meeting each of them told me that they are also making special efforts to repeal section 907. Yes, both President Bill Clinton and the Chairman of the House of Representatives at the Congress in Mr.Gingrich and also the Chairman of Foreign Relations Committee Mr.Gilman promised me that they would try to repeal Section 907. Everybody promised me that Section 907 will be repealed this September.

The Armenian armed forces have occupied a part of our territory, more than 1 million people have been driven out of their homes, but the Armenians here have turned the issue vice versa. Allegedly Azerbaijan has put Armenia under a blockade. That is why the Congress has adopted such an article against our Republic.

Do you see how the things are? Let`s see if any Azerbaijani in the United States of America has raised his/her voice against it? Who has passed Section 907 in the Congress? The Armenians did. Many of the Congressmen tell me that they didn`t even know what this Section 907 was then. They say, \"When that evening the meeting was coming to an end, this project was presented and we voiced it. The meeting was over, we went away.\" Yes, the Armenians have passed this Section in the Congress.

Perhaps you know that after President Clinton invited me to an official visit to the United States, the Armenians here made a hullabaloo. Firstly, they wrote a letter to Mr. Clinton for him to annul Heydar Aliyev`s visit to America. About 15 Armenian organizations wrote a letter to Bill Clinton.

They were not satisfied with it, and disseminated propaganda leaflets about me, wrote different slanders, insulting words about my biography, my personality. They prepared more than 50,000 postcards with my photo in order to send to Bill Clinton so that Heydar Aliyev didn`t come to the United States. We won a great victory at the summit of state and government leaders of the OSCE member countries, held in Lisbon last December. For the first time since the beginning of Armenian-Azerbaijani conflict we tried so that the main principles for the liquidation of this conflict were adopted at the OSCE summit and 53 out of 54 state and government leaders, who were present at the summit voted for these principles. Only Armenia refused these principles.

What happened then? We achieved such a success in Lisbon. But the opposition forces and newspapers in Azerbaijan spread the news that we were allegedly defeated in Lisbon and so on. On my return to Baku from Lisbon I saw that the people were concerned. 1 told them not to worry. I am doing great work. The opposition forces also understand that we achieved a great success in Lisbon. I said then too. The principles, adopted in Lisbon don`t mean somebody`s loss or somebody else`s victory, no. We obtained a very useful document to protect our state position at the Lisbon summit, but in Armenia they mourned because of the statement, adopted in Lisbon. All knew that Armenia has still been protesting against the document, adopted in Lisbon. If this is the defeat of Azerbaijan, why doesn`t Armenia support these principles then? I repeat, 53 states out of 54 OSCE member countries supported it. Besides, the document, signed by President Clinton and me reads that the U.S. supports three principles adopted in Lisbon. The US Vice-president voted for these principles in Lisbon. We met and talked there.

I point out once more the Armenians were so concerned that after the statement, adopted at the Lisbon summit, 15 Armenian organizations wrote a protest letter to Bill Clinton why he had supported this decision in Lisbon. It means in Armenia they were against these principles. The American Armenians accused Bill Clinton, passed some remarks and demanded him to have these principles annulled. But some forces in Azerbaijan who call themselves an opposition made a hullabaloo that we lost here, that the Armenian side won. We have such a misfortune, too. They are within the country. We manage them, for the people see everything, and the people can differentiate what is what. Now it is not as it used to be.

I see how the Armenians are fighting here for Armenia. Let us see if the Azerbaijanis here fight for Azerbaijan, if they get together, put their efforts into this matter.

Somebody must have said at this meeting that the Azerbaijanis, the Turks who live in America, have resources worth $150 million. But what is this money spent on? Is all spent on eating, is all spent to enrich these people more? They should allocate at least a part of it for their Motherland, Azerbaijan.

As you know, wherever you live, there is nothing sweeter than your native country, your Motherland. I lived in Moscow for ten years, and worked in the highest positions. There has been no other Azerbaijani or a Moslem to obtain such positions in the history of the Azerbaijani people, Islamic world neither in the period of the former Russian empire, nor under the Soviet power. This is a history too. Some people say Heydar Aliyev used to be the member of the Politburo and so on. Yes, I used to. I`m proud of it. I made the Azerbaijani people famous there. I raised the Azerbaijani people to the Kremlin level. I`m proud of it. I lived there for ten years, but my heart as well as my days and nights were mentally in Azerbaijan, for Azerbaijan is my Motherland. I might have lived more comfortably in another place. But I came to Baku. The people, whom once I had prepared, trained, promoted, didn`t let me live in Baku. I went to Nakhchivan. If they hadn`t let me live there either, I would have gone to the mountains to dwell there, but I would live in the Azerbaijani territory.

In 1993 when I returned to Baku again, I came back only because I want to serve my people. And I did it, I am doing it now too. I say it because I wonder what the Azerbaijanis, living outside the country, do for Azerbaijan?

Our friend, who spoke first at this meeting, wondered what they should do for Azerbaijan, and what Azerbaijan should do for them. I visited Kennedy`s tomb in Washington D.C. Nice words are written on it. At his inauguration, Kennedy appealed to the Americans: \"Don`t think of what America should do for you. Think of what you should do for America.\" These words concern our country too. Using Kennedy`s words, I say to you: Don`t think of what Azerbaijan should do for you. Think of what you should do for Azerbaijan. For every human being can live wherever it may be, so far he/she is physically whole. He can live better or worse. I`ve seen all sides of life. I`ve lived under different conditions: worst, hardest, highest. I have never owned enormous wealth. For it did not exist in the Soviet Union. But I lived under the best conditions because of the high positions I held. I had a seat in the Kremlin, Moscow, and lived in a big villa. But later when I left power, I went to Nakhchivan and shared an ordinary, simple apartment with my relatives. I lived like millions of ordinary people.

What I mean is a man will live wherever he may be. This is not the main thing. The main thing is what a man does for his nation, Motherland. This is the main. I`ve always lived like this. I`ve done my best for my people until now and I`ll do it further too. I advise you to do the same.

You know, some Azerbaijanis who live abroad now evidently were not born in today`s independent Azerbaijan. Does this make much difference? Were the American Armenians born in America? Were they born in Nagorny Garabagh? None of them was born in Azerbaijan, in Nagorny Garabagh. But one of the American Azerbaijanis say, \"I was born in Iran.\" Another says, \"I was born in Turan.\" One says, \"I was born here; another says, \"I was born there.\" A third one says, \"It doesn`t make any difference for me, my wife is English.\" An Azerbaijani who lives in Moscow says: \"My wife is Russian, that`s why I`ve lost a part of my feeling of being Azerbaijani.\" There are such people too. It doesn`t matter where you were born. If you are Azerbaijani, if you consider yourself Azerbaijani, it means you must know that there is only one independent state of Azerbaijanis in the world, no matter where they were born, no matter where they live. There is no another one. Is there? If there is, please tell me. No, there isn`t.

Every Azerbaijani should be proud of the fact that at last the Azerbaijani people have an independent state, which is included in the world community. This is a source of pride for every Azerbaijani. Imagine that! The President of Azerbaijan is on an official visit to the U.S. The flag of the independent Azerbaijan is fluttering everywhere. During the four days I lived in the Blair House in Washington D.C., the Azerbaijani flag was flying. Wherever I go, I see the Azerbaijani flag there. I go to the White House. The President and I are sitting side by side in front of the U.S. and Azerbaijani flags. There is an Azerbaijani flag on our automobile. The state anthem of Azerbaijan was heard several times here during this official visit of mine. All of these are such big historical events.

When did such thing ever happen? It didn`t happen even in Shah Ismayil`s time. Though Shah Ismayil was the Shah of Azerbaijan then.

Azerbaijan is an independent country now. It is one of 181 UN member countries. It is one of them, but is a very worthy state. Now the whole world admits that Azerbaijan is a country that attracts the attention of many world countries both for her geographical and political position and national resources and for all other factors.

Azerbaijan is an independent state. That is why every Azerbaijani should do what is possible. This should be your duty. Of course, Azerbaijan is our support. As the President of Azerbaijan, I am ready to take care of every Azerbaijani in the world and share every Azerbaijani`s worries. I am ready to render assistance to every Azerbaijani who is in need of the help from our state as well as from me personally because he/she is Azerbaijani. As the president of the Republic of Azerebaijan, every Azerbaijani is dear to me. Irrespective of the fact where he/she, lives he/she was born. My advice is you should have closer contacts with Azerbaijan. When you have an opportunity, come to Azerbaijan.

A little ago, I met with the president of Amoco. These days I have also met with the heads of Motorola, Caterpillar, FMC and other companies. Those, who were in Azerbaijan a year ago and have gone to our Republic this year again, say, \"So many great changes have occurred in your country\". It is because we have been creating so much in Azerbaijan.

One must confess that though now it is possible to condemn the Soviet government, after 1920 Azerbaijan developed rapidly in that period. This is the truth that one cannot deny. Those years we created a big economic potential in Azerbaijan. As well as in the years between 1970-1980 when I was at the head of the Azerbaijan state, we created a very big economic potential in the Republic. We constructed factories, electric power stations. Now we are independent, free in the sphere of electric power, for example. But the situation is different in the other former Soviet republics. Such a great country as the Ukraine has the crisis of electric power now. For in the past it didn`t have its own electric power stations. They depended on Russia. Now Russia has stopped supplying them with electric power. Russia says: \"If you give money, I supply. If you don`t, then I don`t do either. But I had nine electric power stations constructed in Azerbaijan then, so that we didn`t depend on the central network of the Soviet Union. Therefore we are free now. It is true, some of these stations are out of date now, and they need repairing and modernization. We`ll do it, but it has its roots.

Those days we created a big economic potential in Azerbaijan. All of this has been created. In 1988-1989 the process of destruction started in Azerbaijan. All who came to rule the country, destroyed her. Now, for the last few years we have been creating again. Those who visit our Republic see all this, too. The reason for this development is we have given freedom to people. The people themselves are building, creating. They are constructing living houses for themselves, putting the shops in order, building good offices. For the last 2-3 years, the face of Azerbaijan, Baku, has been changing greatly. That is why you should come to your Motherland, see the changes, visit the country. You know, irrespective where the Armenians live, they go to Armenia, visit their country, and then say that they have visited their country. But you also have your Motherland. It is the Motherland of each of you. This is the independent Republic of Azerbaijan.

What is our greatest achievement in this century? Azerbaijan has her language. The Azerbaijanis write, read and speak in their own language. The state language of Azerbaijan, the mother tongue of her people is the Azerbaijani language. All Universities, schools, scientific institutions in Azerbaijan are in Azerbaijani. Azerbaijan has a rich culture. No other Oriental country has as rich culture as ours. In which other country of the Islamic East are there the works equal to those by Uzeyir Hajibayov and our other composers. See what a strong literature, science we have.

The President of the Academy of Sciences, Faramaz Magsudov is sitting here with you. This Academy was established 50 years ago. But see how much in the 20th century the Azerbaijan science has developed.

I paid an official visit to Russia. I visited the Academy of Sciences there. In fact, it used to be the Academy of Sciences of the Soviet Union, but the Academy of Sciences of Russia was founded 250 years ago, it is a very strong center of science. I went there and made a speech in front of the great scientists of Russia. But our scientists are equal to theirs. All this shows how much our nation has developed. Therefore Azerbaijan is not only a geographical concept. Azerbaijan is an independent state, and it is a strong, powerful state. You should know that Azerbaijan will never give up her state independence. Never! There is no way back. The Soviet Socialist structure cannot be restored in Azerbaijan. We`ll never get under the patronage of any state again. You should know that it is already enough.

It is enough that we have been under the patronage of this state, the colony of that one for centuries. It won`t be so any more. All this is the work we have done and it is also our goal. But we shouldn`t do it alone. You should also join in. We should do a lot in order to achieve all this. Our nation has one negative feature: gossiping, falling out with each other, getting into an argument, and staining one`s own nation.

You know, we have some people who come here to stay in America and say that there are no economic reforms in Azerbaijan, there is no democracy, human rights are violated, and so on. Isn`t it enough that the Armenians say all this about Azerbaijan? And now let`s see what President Clinton says. Did you hear President Clinton`s speech when we signed the documents in the White House? If you didn`t hear, we have the copy you can take and watch it.

In the White House we signed a joint statement on American-Azerbaijani relations. The statement says that the U.S. protects the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and supports her. Azerbaijan has taken the course of democracy. Economic reforms are being implemented in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has chosen a progressive course. All this is found in the document we signed. If it is the United States of America and it is her president that estimate all these issues highly. Some people still join the Armenian voice again, however. The Armenians also say the words, spoken by those malevolent people. These words are spoken by those who have come from Azerbaijan, who live here or who are within the Republic.

You know, that there is no use slandering one`s own nation to achieve one`s goals. The national interest comes first, then the personal interest. But why does a man stain his own nation in order to look good in somebody`s eye, to take revenge on somebody and strike a blow?

We have recovered with great difficulty. We prevented a civil war in 1993. We signed the contract of the Century on September 20, 1994. The following day, on September 21 they helped a group of criminals to escape from prison. On September 29, after I came to New York, two of our state figures: the vice-chairman of the Parliament Afiyyaddin Jalilov and colonel Shamsi Rahimov were killed in a terrorist act. They thought that they would be able to shake us by doing it. This was done from inside.

They wanted to overthrow the power in Azerbaijan again. But they couldn`t shake us. After this, Surat Husseynov, the criminal from the police detachment for special purposes attempted to arrange a coup d`etat. You`ve heard and known about it. They had a lot of weapons at their disposal. But T didn`t have any. I appealed to the people on TV. Half a million people gathered in front of the presidential palace within two hours. They came to protect me from these criminals. But not with weapons. But this didn`t serve the criminals a lesson. Six months later, in March 1995 again, they wanted to overthrow us with the help of weapons. This was done by the same police detachment for special purposes. The criminals were united in that detachment. We prevented it too. After this they wanted to shoot my plane with the rocket and to kill 89 people alongside with me. Allah didn`t allow it happen. There were other terrorist acts too.

I said it then too and now I repeat it. When I took on this responsibility, I realized that I can die for my people, my nation. I am ready to sacrifice myself for my people, whenever necessary. We have passed through difficulties, and at last stabilized the social and political situation, economy in Azerbaijan. We are advancing along the path of democracy, we are applying all democratic principles. In this case, coming here and telling different lies or writing to newspapers, doing it from the inside - all this is nothing but treason against our people.

I repeat it that if you have hostility against somebody, don`t use it to strike a blow on the people`s interest. Wage your struggle against those with whom you have hostility.

I am speaking to you sincerely, openly. I want it from the bottom of my heart to unite all the Azerbaijanis in the world. It is necessary. We`ll achieve it too. There may be difficulties in this way as well.

You said you wanted to establish a society in California and hold a congress. If you wanted to hold such a congress, a congress of the Azerbaijanis, you should get in contact with the Azerbaijani State. And the Azerbaijani State should support you. The Azerbaijani President could have congratulated you, sent a representative to you. But you didn`t do it. If you really had such an intention, you should have done it. One should not think that some belong to North Azerbaijan, others to South Azerbaijan. Only the River Araz divides us. We remember what the late Shahriyar said about it.

It is to the point to say that we shall celebrate his 90th anniversary this year for which we are making preparations now. Does it matter that once they divided Azerbaijan. It was not only the River Araz that divided us but two big empires. Now it does not make any difference that one was born on the right bank, the other on the left. Azerbaijanis are Azerbaijanis. Therefore let us get united more closely and become one. I say it again that all Azerbaijanis in the world have one Motherland now and it is the independent Republic of Azerbaijan. Let us get united more closely around this state - our Motherland - no matter where we live. We give freedom to all. Now any people from Azerbaijan can go and live wherever they want. Now it is not like in the past, we don`t prevent anyone. But wherever you live, you should always keep your Motherland in your heart. As John Kennedy said, everyday think of what you have done for Your Motherland. Think of it every day.

Thank you.
The document was taken from the edition \"Together towards the new century\"