Ilham Aliyev: We have created a beautiful life for yourself

The country's economy is developing, and all the major economic tasks  have been fulfilled, stated  the President Ilham Aliyev at a conference on the state program of socio-economic development of regions of Azerbaijan on 2014-2018. According to him, despite the drop in oil prices, Azerbaijan's economy has grown, thanks to the "deep reforms made last year." The global crisis had an impact on Azerbaijan, but compared to the others, "we were able to get out of a difficult situation with minimal losses," he said and added that during the year  were created more than 100 thousand permanent jobs and saved foreign exchange reserves of the Oil Fund.

According to Aliyev, authoritative international economic structures highly appreciated the achievements of the country. Today it is not a problem to get a loan for any project for Azerbaijan. But Azerbaijan is not particularly prone to attract foreign loans, and we have to work at the expense of internal resources, for external debt growth is not a positive factor, he said.

 At the same time, Aliyev admitted that the current level of external debt is "at 20%, and it is more than the previous years, due to the devaluation of the manat." Foreign loans can be taken for strategic projects, he said. At the same time, he called for an enabling environment for business. "If an investor wants to start work, and sees that there is no light, gas, water, and he will never invest",  he said. Concerning regional projects, Aliyev noted the special role of the Southern Gas Corridor, which is realized only through the "leadership" of Azerbaijan.

Regarding the oil strategy, Aliyev said: "We  have maximize used these natural riches - oil, have strengthened our country, have built a strong state, 25 years of living as an independent state, built cities, created a beautiful life for yourself." However, he said that at the center of the country's success is a citizen of Azerbaijan, without the support of which was not to solve these problems would be possible. He further complained about the external enemies who "always carried libelous, slanderous campaign of threats." "We know the source of these campaigns, who is behind them, what they are targeting. Therefore, we go our own way. The organizers of these dirty campaigns have themselves gone from the political scene, "he said. -02D-