Youth supports Ilham Aliyev's candidacy at presidential election
By Sara Rajabova
A statement supporting the candidacy of President Ilham Aliyev in the upcoming presidential elections was adopted at the annual conference of the Azerbaijan Student Youth Organization's Union (ASYOU) held on June 3 in Baku.
Head of the Presidential Administration's social and political affairs department, Ali Hasanov, Deputy Minister of Youth and Sports Intigam Babayev and other officials, as well as 1,400 representatives of student youth organizations of 84 ASYOU member universities and secondary specialized educational institutions participated in the event.
Besides the Azerbaijani capital, the conference was held in Ganja, Lankaran and Nakhchivan via a live broadcast.
In his opening speech, ASYOU Chairman Shahin Ismayilov informed the participants of the activity of the ASYOU over the last year, the projects being implemented by the organization and its international relations.
Themes such as the youth policy of the government in the last 10 years and the contribution of student youth organizations to its realization, the contribution of ASYOU to the social and political processes in Azerbaijan in the last decade and the attitude of youth towards these issues and other matters were discussed during the conference.
Speaking at the conference, Chairman of the Council of Elders, MP Fattah Heydarov highly assessed the support of Ilham Aliyev's candidacy by the ASYOU. Heydarov said that the country's youth rightly supported his candidacy at the upcoming presidential election.
Azerbaijan's presidential election is scheduled for the fall of 2013.
Heydarov noted that the basis for the successful policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev was laid by national leader Heydar Aliyev.
"Today's youth is happy to live in a society built by Heydar Aliyev. Without Heydar Aliyev, we lost thousands of young people in the war as a result of chaos. Heydar Aliyev, having come to power for the second time at the request of the people, in the last ten years of his life had created an independent and happy Azerbaijan," the MP said.
He emphasized that the youth, supporting the candidacy of a worthy successor of Heydar Aliyev, has made the right choice in favor of a bright future.
The Presidential Administration's Ali Hasanov, speaking at the conference, said Azerbaijan has managed to create a country which plays a significant role in the region and the world, a country whose interests are taken into consideration.
Hasanov said further that today Azerbaijan's opinion is definitely taken into account while developing trans-energy projects of the Caspian basin, establishing and developing East-West transnational transport and communication links and other issues.
"Azerbaijan is really capable of representing the interests of the country and people on the world stage. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev is the representative of the top interests of this country," Hasanov noted.
He said that while taking an oath, President Aliyev pledged that he would fully protect Azerbaijan's interests and security, and has delivered on his promise.
Hasanov said that some may not like this, as there are Azerbaijan's interests on one side, and interests of other countries on the other.
"In this regard, these forces are seeking to create certain blocs against Azerbaijan," he added.