Ilham Aliyev received representatives of Jewish community who arrived in Azerbaijan

President Ilham Aliyev received representatives of Jewish community who arrived in Azerbaijan to attend the opening ceremony of a Jewish school in Baku.

President Ilham Aliyev greeted the representatives of Jewish community who arrived in Azerbaijan from different countries to attend the opening ceremony of a Jewish school in Baku. The President said Azerbaijan displayed tolerant attitude towards all nations and national minorities, including the Jews, for centuries. President Ilham Aliyev highlighted that historically, representatives of different nations had been peacefully coexisting in Azerbaijan, pointing out to the current successful continuation of this tradition and its exemplary character. Citing the Jewish school as an example, the President mentioned that projects for national minorities realized in Azerbaijan contributed to strengthening of friendly relations among nations.

President Ilham Aliyev said national leader Heydar Aliyev pursued a consistent policy to strengthen tolerance in Azerbaijan, while underscoring the successful continuation of this policy in our days. The President also expanded upon the development path traversed by Azerbaijan in the years of independence. President Ilham Aliyev said it was national leader Heydar Aliyev`s wise policy which led to the all-round development and helped leave behind the difficulties Azerbaijan faced in early years of independence, ranging from civil war, economic downturn, socio-political instability, to Armenia`s aggression and other numerous challenges.

The President said Azerbaijan pursued an independent policy, highlighting that the unity of the people and the government had already been achieved and the human factor had played a leading role in the state policy. The President said the population`s standard of living had continuously improved in the country, the poverty level decreased from 49% to 11% in a short span of time, and great number of new jobs had been created. President Ilham Aliyev said owing to government`s expedient policies, the country’s capital and the regions had developed and modernized beyond recognition and Azerbaijan transformed into a leader country in the region. While emphasizing that development had been ensured in Azerbaijan in every field even during the global financial and economic crisis around the world, the President also added that Azerbaijan had achieved leaping social-economic development in recent years and had strengthened its efforts to take its place in the ranks of world’s developed countries.

President Ilham Aliyev touched upon the projects aimed at ensuring free activities of various religious communities in Azerbaijan and noted the building of a new synagogue in Baku. The President mentioned the necessity of increasing the world community’s awareness of Azerbaijan’s realities and highlighted the role of mutual visits thereof.

Lev Leviev, President of the Federation of Jewish Communities of the CIS, thanked President Ilham Aliyev for his hospitality. He said Azerbaijan had always displayed good attitude towards all nations and national minorities in the country, including the Jewish community. Pleasantly recalling his meetings with national leader Heydar Aliyev, Lev Leviev noted the successful continuation of national leader’s wise policy of tolerance by President Ilham Aliyev. The guest also highlighted the contributions of Heydar Aliyev Foundation and its President Mehriban Aliyeva to this benevolent policy.

At the end of the meeting, President Ilham Aliyev was presented with a gift.