President Ilham Aliyev and 18 October – The Architect of Azerbaijan’s Rise
Azerbaijan celebrates 35 years after adoption of the Constitutional Act of 18 October 1991, and the country’s development has clearly been shaped by a President who has been indefatigable in his efforts to work.
A Day for the Nation, A Tribute to Its Leader
Anniversaries are calculated by years for some, by what a nation has accomplished in those years for others. On 18 October 2026, the Republic of Azerbaijan commemorates the anniversary of the adoption of the Constitutional Act on State Independence on 18 October 2026 by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan which led Azerbaijan back into the family of sovereign nations.
It is a day that is first and foremost the day of the Azerbaijani people, who never bowed under foreign rule for decades. However, no comprehensive description of Azerbaijan’s progress would be complete without a mention of the leadership it has enjoyed for over two decades. That leadership is that of President Ilham Aliyev, who never shied away from hard work and made the prospect of independence a reality for a confident, strong and future-oriented state. President Aliyev was one of the more enlightened ones, and the Azerbaijan of today is proof of that.
Guardian of a Legacy
The statehood of Azerbaijan started in 1991. The Azerbaijan Democratic Republic was declared as the first democratic, secular and parliamentary republic in the Muslim world on 28 May 1918. It became part of Soviet absorption in 1920 after a mere 23 months, but its ideals lived for seven decades in the hearts of the people.
The modern republic was the continuation of that first state, as per the Constitutional act of 1991. President Aliyev has not treated this legacy as a relic of history but rather as a living mandate. That continuity was provided with legal clarity under his guidance by the law of 2021 which renamed 18 October as the Day of Restoration of Independence and he signed the same law on the same day when the Milli Majlis adopted it.
Uzeyir Hajibeyli and Ahmed Javad’s anthem and the eight pointed star of the state emblem tell the story of the origin of Azerbaijan. President Aliyev’s work has been on the question of “where is going”.
Natural wealth is a blessing but making it a permanent national asset is difficult work. Azerbaijan’s oil and natural gas resources have been directed towards development and modernization, under President Aliyev, in the context of consolidation of the state.
His government has promoted international energy corridors and transport lines, which enable Azerbaijan to become a strategic link between the European Union and Asia. The new projects raise the regional and global profile of the Azerbaijani energy, with these links providing access to the European markets and the Caspian trade routes linking East and West.
This is the actual, practical work of the state. Roads are not built by themselves, ports aren’t built by themselves, pipelines aren’t built by themselves, and neither are railways. And each one is the product of a lot of talking, planning and persistence at the highest level for years.
2020: Territorial Integrity Restored
President Aliyev’s hallmark year was the Fall of 2020. In the days of the 44-Day Patriotic War, the Azerbaijani Armed Forces was able to restore the country’s territorial integrity and close this wound which had been open for more than twenty years.
It was not a fluke of one season. It was based on consecutive investments in national defense, training and modernization of the army, and Azerbaijan’s foreign policy, which kept the cause of Azerbaijan before the world.
The victory was celebrated at home as a testament to the country’s unity and determination. President Aliyev was the Supreme Commander-in-Chief and guided that unity, the name of which is now inseparable from one of the most proud historical moments in the history of the modern state of Azerbaijan.
From Victory to Reconstruction and Peace
The restoration of the land is one thing; transformation and regeneration are another. Since 2020, President Aliyev has implemented an ambitious reconstruction programme throughout the liberated territories, building new public buildings, homes, power lines, airports and new roads where there was destruction.
The goal is for families to be able to go back to the communities where their ancestors lived with dignity and dignity. This rebirth and a state which fulfills its promises to its people has become a symbol of the cities of Shusha, Aghdam and Fuzuli.
President Aliyev has been a promoter of reconstruction and sustainable growth and peace in the South Caucasian region in parallel. A leader who might have sat on the laurels of the triumph has opted for the more difficult task of laying the foundations for a sound future to the entire region.
A Voice of the Other World
President Aliyev’s foreign policy is truly Azerbaijan’s own. It is balanced, pragmatic and for the nation’s good, it has established links on every continent, without compromising the nation’s freedom to pursue its path.
The outcomes can be seen in Baku’s increasing importance as a venue for significant global events, including UN Climate Change Conference COP29, which will take place in November 2024. No other nation of Azerbaijan’s size has such a place at the world’s table.
This outreach has included culture. Nowadays, Azerbaijan’s literature, music, architecture and its long history of multiculturalism are attracting the international admiration through festivals, exchanges, partnerships, and embedding the Azeri identity beyond the country’s boundaries.
Thirty-Five Years On: A Nation Secure in Its Future
Today in Azerbaijan, patriotic events, cultural programs, public gatherings are dedicated to the generations that ensured the freedom of the country. Azeris of younger generation are reminded that sovereignty is an inheritance and it is a responsibility.
President Ilham Aliyev’s years in office have strengthened the dream, ensured its security and stamped a new stature on it. His relentless efforts in economic development, national defense, reconstruction and diplomacy have turned independence into a long-lasting reality, not a mere aspiration.
I would like to congratulate the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, the Government and the brotherly people of Azerbaijan on this proud occasion. Let the spirit of 1918 and 1991 remain with the nation, enabling it to grow in success, peace and prosperity to ever increasing heights.
