Dear compatriots,

I am addressing you on the occasion of the Day of Solidarity of World Azerbaijanis – one of the most important holidays of the people of Azerbaijan. Since the people of Azerbaijan have gained independence, 31 December has been a nationwide holiday annually celebrated by our compatriots residing over the world. The key goal of this Day is Azerbaijani statehood, respect for the national-moral values of our people, belonging to the Azerbaijani nation, sense and ideas of devotion to Motherland.

Strengthening of national unity and solidarity of the World Azerbaijanis became available in the period of establishment of independent state construction. 31 December was for the first time declared as a holiday of national unity and solidarity of the world Azerbaijanis by our nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev when he was the Chairman of the Supreme Majlis of the Nakhcvhivan Autonomous Republic, and then, it became a national holiday of the entire people of Azerbaijan and the world Azerbaijanis. In the past period, Heydar Aliyev has made successive and expedient efforts to strengthen the sense of national unity and solidarity of the Azerbaijanis over the world, closely unite them around the nationwide ideas and Azerbaijani statehood. His meetings with the Azerbaijani Diasporas during his visits to the foreign countries, the well conducting of the First Congress of the World Azerbaijanis in November 2001 in Baku and further political activities gave a strong impetus to strengthening of the national self-conscience of the world Azerbaijanis, raise cohesion of the Azerbaijani communities in numerous countries, and consolidation of their relations with their historical Motherland.

Spread of the idea of Azerbaijanism as a uniting value among the world Azerbaijanis, the revival and development of our language, culture, progressive customs, traditions and history was the idea of Heydar Aliyev. I think that this idea, as an important proviso of the cultural-moral cohesion of our country fellows over the world, will be the foundation of our policy today and in the future.

Strengthening of contacts of the world Azerbaijanis with the Republic of Azerbaijan, with the only national state of our people, consolidation of the legal and cultural-moral bases of these relations is one of the most significant duties. Every Azerbaijani, irrespective of his living in any world country, should live up with the problems of the Azerbaijani state and its people, and make every effort to resolve them. At the same time, the government of Azerbaijan should create every condition to benefit its material and moral opportunities by the entire world Azerbaijanis, ensure their national and civil rights.

History proves that the country fellows residing in close communities in the numerous world counties and maintaining their national-ethnic belonging and peculiarities, cultural-moral values both actively take part in the economic, political and socio-cultural life of the country where they live and can take care of their historical Motherland, their country. From this standpoint, there are large opportunities and unused potential of the Azerbaijani communities and associations in the Commonwealth of Independent States, Europe, America and Asia that should be serve out national interests.

Today, there appeared larger opportunities for consolidation of the solidarity and cohesion of the world Azerbaijanis, their close unification around the national ideas. As a result of the right internal and external policy pursued in the last decade, the state of Azerbaijan has strengthened, turned to the center of global economic-energy and transport-communications projects, the key factor of the regional processes. Currently, the state of Azerbaijani has every influential tool to ensure the universal and national-cultural rights, the human rights provided in the international conventions for the world Azerbaijanis. You may be sure that the state of Azerbaijan and its political leadership will undertake all the necessary measures to strengthen the sense of the world Azerbaijanis of belonging to the Motherland and nation, for all-round participation in the economic and cultural life of the Republic, in the state building.

Strengthening of cohesion of the world Azerbaijanis and ensuring of the national unity and solidarity of our compatriots was truly one of the greatest wishes out nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev. Our people, the entire world Azerbaijanis united much more after the passing of the late President, demonstrated its faithfulness to the strategic course he defined, his ideas, reasserted the fortitude for realization and completion of them.

On this dearest holiday, I once again extend my heartfelt congratulation to You, wish each of you health, welfare, tranquility and sustainable successes in the name of progress of our Motherland.

Ilham Aliyev,

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

City of Baku, 26 December 2003