Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the opening of Kempinski Hotel-Badamdar complex in Baku

- Good morning!

Let me sincerely congratulate you on the opening of the Kempinski hotel. This is a truly major event. A hotel of the world-famous Kempinski hotel chain is now opening in Baku. The hotel is beautiful and has top-level conditions.

The launch of a Kempinski hotel in Azerbaijan is a remarkable event because these hotels hold an important place among hotels around the world. At the same time, the opening of Kempinski in Baku is an indicator of Azerbaijan’s development. Our city is developing, new hotels are opening. The attention and interest of investors in the Azerbaijani economy, the service sector in particular, are of course very gratifying.

I am very pleased that such a beautiful and luxury hotel is starting to operate in Baku. It will lend further beauty to our city. I am very pleased that the appearance of the hotel is beautiful and its interior finishing is at the highest level. The rooms, public areas, restaurants, entertainment facilities, recreation lounges – everything is at the highest level.

This year has been declared the Year of Tourism in Azerbaijan. And it is not surprising, because a lot of attention is being paid to the development of tourism. I believe that the tourism sector will hold an important place in Azerbaijan’s economy in the coming years. Tourism plays a major role in the economies of developed countries, especially the ones that have a beautiful nature. Azerbaijan is a rich country with great places for the development of tourism, and we must harness these opportunities.

Beautiful and modern hotels and tourism facilities are opening up in all our districts now. Of course, the best hotels are starting to operate in Baku. Six five-star hotels will be opened in Baku this year alone. And Kempinski Badamdar has been the first of them.

This in itself is an excellent indicator. The launch of six internationally renowned five-star hotels in one city over the course of one year shows that Azerbaijan is developing rapidly, that the country's service sector is growing. In previous years, 10-15 years ago, investor interest in Azerbaijan was limited to the energy sector. And it was probably natural. The infrastructure, the public transport were not up to the standard in Azerbaijan then. In general, the development of our independent country was in the early stages. Today, at the current stage of development, the investment made in the service sector is of particular importance. I believe that this work will progress further in all areas in the coming years.

Baku is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. This is not only our opinion, it is confirmed by visitors of our city. Beautiful cities should have excellent conditions to receive guests. The conditions here meet international standards. I think this hotel will stand out among other Kempinski hotels for its beauty and functionality. I am also aware of Kempinski’s other plans in relation to Azerbaijan. There may be new initiatives in both Baku and other cities of Azerbaijan. In any case, the launch of this hotel will give a strong impetus to the hospitality industry in Azerbaijan.

Foreign investment is securely protected in Azerbaijan. This is ensured by national legislation, this is the policy of the country. Let me repeat that both local and foreign investment is properly protected in Azerbaijan. This is exactly why Azerbaijan has been the CIS leader for direct foreign investment per capita for many years. Around $16 billion was invested in the Azerbaijani economy last year alone. I think the investment will further increase this year, thus new opportunities will emerge for a comprehensive development of Azerbaijan.

The construction and launch of this fine hotel is a momentous event. Of course, people coming here should be served well. And that will depend on the professionalism of the hotel staff. I am sure this hotel will provide the services worthy of its name and the guests will enjoy their stay.

I want to specifically welcome the President of the Kempinski hotel chain in Europe, who has come to Azerbaijan to attend this ceremony. I want to salute all the guests. Let me heartily congratulate you on the opening of this beautiful hotel again. Thank you.