Ilham Aliyev Does Not Trust Local Experts

There are a variety of NGOs funded from abroad, which put the goal to denigrate the Azerbaijani authorities. They spend years on anti-Azerbaijani campaigns, but they and their ratings are not worth paying attention to. This was stated by Ilham Aliyev, speaking yesterday at a meeting of the Cabinet on the results of 2016.

He further criticized the local economists, which also give a negative assessment of the economy and policy of the Azerbaijani government. "Do not pay attention to all this," Aliyev said philosophically, without explaining in what exactly the economists and NGOs are wrong.

Aliyev tried to convince the public that the social policy of the authorities is one of the priorities of the government. "In 2016, very important steps related to social justice, in particular in connection with the utility rates, were made," he said, regarding the twofold increase in the prices for gas and electricity.

"I think we can be proud of the success achieved in addressing social issues in 2016. Our revenues are falling, and the people’s wages are rising," he said.

He called the development of tourism, the construction of hotels and the increase in the influx of foreign tourists as an indicator of economic growth.

Referring to the Karabakh settlement, Aliyev repeated the well-known position of Baku that Azerbaijan's territorial integrity must be restored. "We will never allow creation of a second contrived Armenian state on our land."

Speaking about the April battles, Aliyev called it a glorious historical victory of the Azerbaijani army. 2016 was very important in terms of settlement of the conflict, as the opposite side, Armenia, was in a panic and asked the mediators to facilitate early completion of the fighting and expressed its readiness to return to the negotiating process.

Then he spoke about the successful performance of the athletes at the Olympic Games in Rio.

In 2016, our athletes also pleased us with a great victory. At the Olympic Games in Rio and the September referendum the people were "very supportive of our policies."

“International organizations, in particular the Council of Europe, very positively assessed the conduct of the referendum. It was subsequently confirmed by their decision in Strasbourg,” Aliyev said.

He further praised the policy of multiculturalism against the backdrop of the growth of racism in Europe and violation of the rights of migrants, and Islamophobia.

In his lengthy speech, Aliyev, however, said nothing about the two devaluations of the manat, the death of dozens of oil workers as a result of accidents on offshore platforms, huge financial losses of citizens as a result of the closure of banks, and other matters of grave concern to the population. -02D-