Al-Fajr newspaper publishes an extensive article about Azerbaijan’s First Vice-president Mehriban Aliyeva

A whole page of Al-Fajr daily newspaper of the United Arab Emirates, dated August 24, which has been enjoying a broad mass of readers, was dedicated to First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva.

In the article, Mehriban Aliyeva’s activity as a state and public person, her great services for the development of education, healthcare, culture and sport in Azerbaijan, for preserving the nation’s cultural heritage and strengthening the country’s positive image in the world are pictured, and her contribution to the development of intercultural dialogue is emphasized.

Hereinbelow is presented the article.

Firs Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mehriban Aliyeva has won the love and great respect of the people of Azerbaijan for her services in the spheres she has taken great care of, in particular, in the humanitarian field. Mehriban Aliyeva was born to and brought up in an educated family enjoying high ethic, scientific and cultural values. Her grandfather Mir Jalal Pashayev was Azerbaijan’s eminent literary figure, and a well-known writer. Her parents have played a matchless role in the formation of her national and cultural personality. Her father Arif Pashayev has been the rector of the National Aviation Academy since 1996, her mother Aida Imanguliyeva was a well-know researcher in the fields of culture, linguistics and oriental studies. All these have instilled in Mehriban khanum the love for poetry, music, and art. The first lady secured the solution of many problems facing people, especially those of IDP and refugees, playing a great role in ensuring proper living conditions for them. At the same time, through the Foundation, established in 2004 and named after Azerbaijani people’s national leader Heydar Aliyev, she has been making contributions to the development of various spheres of the society. Mehriban khanum has been approaching children and solution of their problems with great care and attention, and has secured the construction of new schools, hospitals, music schools, a thalassemia centre and summer camps for children in need of special care. Along with taking care of children, she also takes special interest in the problems of the elderly.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation has implemented large-scale projects in culture, with its matchless services in the propagation of Azerbaijan’s music culture, in particular, mugham – a national music type of the people they have been representing, has constructed the Mugham Centre in Baku, securing the propagation and recognition of the mugham genre. The Foundation has, at the same time, made great contribution to the promotion of the Azerbaijani culture, having organized music festivals and evenings with participation of renowned musicians invited from around the world. From the very day of its establishment, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation has been playing a great role in the development of the world culture, strengthening the dialogue among civilizations, contributing to dissemination of humanist values, peace and tolerance, and development of dialogue between cultures.

With support from the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, an Islamic art section has been created in the Louvre Museum in Paris, and restoration of historical art monuments in the Versailles Palace, the Berlin Fortress destroyed during the Second World War, rare manuscripts being preserved in Vatican’s archive and ancient statues being kept there have been carried out. Restoration of the Philosophers hall in the Capitoline Museum in the city of Rome is considered one of the most significant projects of the Foundation in this sphere.

Alongside all this, Mehriban Aliyeva places also high emphasis on victims of natural disasters occurring around the world. Supports were provided to Romania and Haiti that had suffered from natural disaster, following Azerbaijan’s first lady’s initiative, a girls’ school, which had been totally destroyed as a result of earthquake in Pakistan, was constructed anew, and numerous programmes of development and projects were implemented in this country. The Heydar Aliyev Foundation provided financial support in 2011 to the French Terror Victims Association in order to arrange the 7^th International Conference of Terror Victims in Paris.

As a result of the efforts she has put forth towards preservation and development of Azerbaijan’s oral folk literature, national heritage, culture and music, Mehriban Aliyeva was conferred on the title of UNESCO’s goodwill ambassador in 2004, and for the services in various areas of the Islamic world, a goodwill ambassador of ISESCO in 2006.

Mehriban Aliyeva has been also showing special attention to the development of sports in Azerbaijan. She has played a great role in Azerbaijan’s successfully hosting the first European Games in 2015, as well as international cup competitions for rhythmic gymnastics. After Mehriban khanum’s election president of Azerbaijan’s Gymnastics Federation in 2002, the country hosted international gymnastics competitions in 2003 and 2004.

Mehriban Aliyeva’s selfless endeavours secured the successful holding of the first European Games, making contributions to Azerbaijan’s recognition in the world as a sports country, and these endeavours led to the country’s great achievements in the Games.

The activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the country’s various fields of development, as well as the works carried out in the fields of sports, culture, healthcare and education have been highly appreciated by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the Foundation’s President Mehriban Aliyeva was awarded the Heydar Aliyev Order.

The first European Games are not the only large-scale event that Mehriban Aliyeva has organized successfully. She had been the chairperson of the Organizing Committee of the 4^th Islamic Solidarity Games hosted by Azerbaijan during May 12 to May 22, 2017, having greatly contributed to the successful holding of these event.

Moreover, the first lady’s efforts for high-level organization of the Eurovision Song Contest in Baku should be emphasized. This contest is considered the longest TV show in the world, and the most significant music event in the European Continent. Numerous guests from around the world who had come to Azerbaijan to watch this contest expressed their satisfaction with the hospitality they had experienced, and witnessed the rapid development Azerbaijan has achieved in various spheres.

For her great efforts, Mehriban Aliyeva has been awarded orders and prizes of a number of countries and organizations, including order of “Legion of Honour” of France, Pakistan’s “Hilal-e Pakistan” High Order, state prizes of Serbia and Hungary, “Ruby Cross” of Russia’s International Charity Organization, an award of the World Health Organization, High Order of the European Olympic Committee, “Golden Heart” International Award, Poland’s high honours order, UNESCO’s “Golden Mozart” Medal, Kuwait’s honorary diploma, and other high orders and medals.

Without a doubt, all the mentioned above, at the same time, Mehriban Aliyeva’s high humanistic qualities, efforts that she has made towards the development of the country, the contributions that she has made to international humanitarian aid missions have, both within the country and on the international scale, had great impact on the formation of the first lady’s high image, and led to her promotion to the highest office. So, by the Resolution of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, dated 21 February 2017, Mehriban Aliyeva was appointed first vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, which has been accepted by the people of Azerbaijan, who shows great love, respect and esteem towards her, with sympathy.