Ashraf Abo Arafe – Ibrahim Ouf
On this day, May 28, 1918, Azerbaijan celebrates 101 years since its founding the first republic known to the Muslim East. On this day, the Azerbaijani Republic of Azerbaijan was proclaimed after the collapse of the Russian Tsarist Empire, which lasted for only 23 months as Azerbaijan was reoccupied on 28 April 1920.
*.. Not simple!
The establishment of this republic was not easy or simple. The world was suffering from wars, disturbances and conflicts in all its military, ethnic and religious forms. Eastern Europe and the Caucasus suffered from communist coups and civil wars, which facilitated the Soviet army’s occupation of the region.
* A unique political structure!
In the course of these few months, the Azerbaijani people under his national leadership managed to form a unique political structure enriched of all their legal rights and freedoms. They established the parliament, the government, the first governmental educational institution and granted Azerbaijani women the right to vote in the world. The Azerbaijani National Assembly has a 120-seat witness to Azerbaijan’s adherence to international principles and covenants on multilateralism and the multi-national parliamentary system.
* A three-color flag!
On the ninth day of November 1918, the Government of the Azerbaijani Republic adopted its first decision to adopt a three-color flag – blue, red and green with the eight-pointed crescent and star – symbolizing the principles of national identity, modernity and democracy, Islam as a flag of Azerbaijan Independent.
Following the collapse of the Republic on April 28, 1920, the flag was abolished, but it was re-recognized as a flag of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 17 November 1990.
* Establishing institutions!
The modern republic also decided to establish the Baku State University, which is a beacon of science in Azerbaijan and continues today to fulfill its mission of educating the people of Azerbaijan.
Despite financial difficulties, the government has sent 100 Azerbaijani students to study in foreign countries.
In a short period of time, the national army and independent economic financial system developed, with trade negotiations with foreign countries to supply the world market with oil exports from independent Azerbaijan.
* International recognition!
After intensifying diplomatic talks with NATO leaders, on January 11, 1920, the Paris Peace Conference recognized the real independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
The first republic, however, unfortunately lasted only two years until 1920. On April 28, the 11th Red Army invaded the Republic of Azerbaijan, which was then suffering difficult internal and external conditions and demanded the resignation of the Azerbaijani parliament and established their own government.
With the occupation of the 11th Red Army, Azerbaijan entered 70 years of Soviet rule until 1991, until it regained its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union.
* Challenges & Hideraliev!
In the early years of its independence after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the Republic of Azerbaijan faced many problems as a result of the political and economic upheaval, most notably the Armenian aggression which resulted in the occupation of 20% of the Azerbaijani lands and the displacement of more than 1 million citizens from their cities and lands. Armenian genocide against the Azerbaijani innocent citizens, who numbered more than 20,000 people, mostly children, women and the elderly, and destroyed and burned many of the Islamic sanctuaries, schools, mosques and historical monuments that witness the Azerbaijani People’s Hall and Heritage.
During this critical historical period in the history of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijani people appealed to the national leader, Hideraliev, to take control of the country, to rid the country of this crushing crisis. In a short period of time, Aliyev managed, with his insight, to move Azerbaijan from a state of confusion And the many difficulties that prevailed during the nineties to the prospects of prosperity and national progress, and began a new era in the life of the independent Republic of Azerbaijan, where the country abandoned the planned economy of the Soviet era, and turned into a free market economy, and measures were taken to establish a democratic political system in the country, The Political Parties Act was ratified and the rights of all nationalities were established to participate in parliamentary elections. Azerbaijan also signed several international treaties on civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights, including the recognition of women’s political rights.
* Petroleum.. Cradle of the world’s oil industry!
Oil and gas, one of the most important assets of Azerbaijan, and the most important sources of strategic and natural power, and thus had an important role in its economic history.
The first mechanical drilling of an oil well in the world was in 1848 at Bibi-Hepat on the Caspian coast near Baku, before drilling its 11-year-old counterpart in the United States.
In 1871 the Republic of Azerbaijan witnessed the first production of oil by steam. At the end of the century, Azerbaijan produced more than half of the world’s oil production. Baku was then known as the cradle of the world’s oil industry.
Oil was the main reason for the Republic of Azerbaijan being the focus of many countries of the world, especially since Azerbaijan played a prominent role during the Second World War, where Baku – the capital of Azerbaijan provided most of the Soviet Union oil on the eastern front.
In September 1994, the “Decade of the Century” was signed worth several billion with the multinational oil companies to develop the offshore oil fields in the Azerbaijani sector of Bharqazin. Due to Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan and the Baku-Tbilisi-Erzum gas pipeline, Azerbaijan looks forward to playing an important role in the East-West energy corridor and for energy security in Europe.
* Upgrading the infrastructure!
In parallel with the oil and gas sectors, attention has been given to the development of non-oil sectors, including the development of infrastructure for the transport and communications sector of strategic priority, such as railways, seaports and airports, as well as fleets of aircraft, ships and land and sea transport, In order to stimulate transport routes between East and West, North and South.
* International organizations!
The Republic of Azerbaijan is a member of the United Nations, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, the Economic Cooperation Organization of the Middle East and other international organizations.
In 2001, the Republic of Azerbaijan became a member of the European Council (Parliament), thus joining the European family.
Since the independence of Azerbaijan, the motto of Islam has become one of the three symbols of the new independent Azerbaijan Republic. Azerbaijan has been accepted as a member of the Organization of the Islamic Conference and it has become an official tradition that the President of the Republic, sworn in as the Holy Quran.
Today, the Republic of Azerbaijan has turned from a country that requires security assistance and international assistance in the past to a country that today contributes to international operations in support of peace and humanitarian efforts.
A very important event took place in 2011 for the Republic of Azerbaijan, where for the first time it was selected as a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security Council during 2012-2013. The Republic of Azerbaijan was able to win the confidence of 155 world community in a turbulent atmosphere out of 193 States Candidate of Azerbaijan.
* Achievements and successes!
The Azerbaijani Republic has achieved very important economic projects, which has become an important part of its agenda where they had to move from a planned economy to a market economy. Today, the Azerbaijani people feel this development and the results of economic reforms.
In less than 10 years, GDP has increased by threefold, and industrial production has also increased by threefold. The poverty level dropped from 50% to almost 5%. In 2011, the GDP per capita was $ 7003.4, and today the unemployment rate is 5%.
It is worth mentioning that the Republic of Azerbaijan is located in the South of the Caucasus region with an area of 86.6 thousand square kilometers. Its population exceeds ten million. Its official language is Azerbaijani and religion is Islam.
To the east is the Caspian Sea, Russia to the north, Georgia to the north-west, Armenia to the west and Iran to the south.
Today, the Republic of Azerbaijan is developing and flourishing under the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev, who continues the successful approach of the national leader of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
