Upcoming Tasks: 'A Strong Army…', 'There is a Need for Reforms in the Field of Democracy'

On September 23, President Ilham Aliyev highlighted several key tasks facing the country during the first session of the VII convocation of the National Assembly. The head of state emphasized that the primary task is to enhance military strength: "…The processes unfolding globally, the creation of new conflict and war zones, rising tensions around us, and revanchist tendencies in Armenia compel us to continuously focus on this area."

The Azerbaijani president also stressed that the restoration of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur is one of the country’s main tasks. He underscored the importance of border protection and identified ideological security as another priority area.

Touching upon economic matters, he stated: "The economic indicators for this year, I believe, are positive. In the first eight months, the economy grew by more than 4 percent, and the non-oil sector grew by 7 percent."

When discussing social reforms, the president emphasized that the minimum wage and pensions will once again be raised next year.

Member of the National Assembly Naqif Hamzayev told Turan that Azerbaijan liberated its territories during the 44-day Patriotic War and restored full sovereignty in 2023: "Azerbaijan is the side making the greatest effort to sign a peace agreement with Armenia. Unfortunately, however, Armenia, supported by its allies, is rearming and avoiding the negotiation process to some extent, showing insincerity. During the occupation period, we strengthened our military power, and it was thanks to this and the unity of 'people, army, leader' that we liberated our lands. In other words, when there is power, law works. Today, Azerbaijan is increasing its strength amid the new realities it has created."

The deputy emphasized that if Azerbaijan did not have a strong army today, its sovereignty could be threatened again tomorrow: "In this regard, we must always maintain our military power at the highest level. To achieve this, we must intensify our efforts."

N. Hamzayev also pointed out that, in parallel, the restoration of the liberated territories must continue, and the issue of returning nearly one million internally displaced persons to their lands should be resolved as soon as possible: "Already, more than 8,000 displaced persons have returned to their ancestral lands. This is indeed a very good indicator. The rapid pace at which reconstruction efforts have been carried out immediately after the war is also a very positive sign."

According to him, alongside these issues, Azerbaijan has also made significant achievements in political, social, and economic areas: "Today, work continues in these areas. We must particularly highlight the presence of political dialogue in Azerbaijan. After the adoption of new legislation, we can now see the registration of political parties and their unity on national issues, which has led to success. We also see the representation of many political parties and independent deputies in the newly formed parliament."

The deputy believes that if Azerbaijan’s economy were not strong, it would not have military power: "All these achievements are directly tied to the economy. Today, the Azerbaijani government is working to reduce its dependence on oil and develop the non-oil sector, while Azerbaijan has been able to establish a logistics network on its territory for many years. Today, Azerbaijan has implemented the North-South corridor and the East-West transportation corridor on its own. We must also highlight the Alat Free Economic Zone, which will greatly contribute to the Azerbaijani economy in the future. The reconstruction of Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur’s economy and their integration into the national economy in the coming years will further strengthen Azerbaijan."

N. Hamzayev noted that so far, Azerbaijan has pursued a socially-oriented policy: "Looking at the state budget, we see that social expenditures are at the forefront. I believe that Azerbaijan will continue its socially-oriented policies in the coming decades, and we have activated all possible tools to improve the social welfare of the population. In short, the goal of a stronger Azerbaijan is the social welfare of its citizens. To fulfill this mission, we must ensure national security at a high level."

Member of the National Assembly Fazil Mustafa also told Turan that the president's speech in parliament was conceptual, highlighting the tasks facing all citizens and state institutions: "These tasks were conveyed systematically to emphasize which priorities should be focused on for the country’s future. The president noted that reforms are ongoing. At the same time, if the president had gone into detail about the country’s economic development and the state program for the liberated territories, the speech would have lasted for hours. Therefore, he presented more summaries, prioritizing security issues."

According to the deputy, all these matters are tied to the continuation of reforms: "Because without continuing these reforms, talking about economic development, cultural values, and social welfare is not well-founded. The president noted that our main success is stability. Without stability, no reform can succeed. Therefore, a policy that prioritizes stability is being pursued, and this is connected to security."

Political commentator Nasimi Mammadli reminded Azadliq Radio that after gaining independence, Azerbaijan faced several challenges: "One of them was the Karabakh issue, another was the poor socio-economic situation of the population, and a third was the problem of corruption and bribery, which slowed down certain development trends in society."

The expert noted that the Karabakh issue has been resolved: "Therefore, I believe that armament and further investments in this area should no longer be a priority. Azerbaijan has either signed alliance agreements with most regional states or participates in joint projects. Armenia is a small country, and its military potential is not sufficient to pose significant threats."

In his view, one of the current priorities of the country should be socio-economic issues: "Because the income of the population has significantly decreased, and due to rising prices, the standard of living has fallen considerably. At the same time, transparency must be ensured in the country, and at least certain steps should be taken to combat corruption."

The political analyst emphasized that, finally, there is a serious need for reforms in the field of human rights and democracy.