A traditional festivity for children

On December 30, the Heydar Aliyev Foundation arranged a festivity in Buta Palace for children to mark the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year. 

First Vice-president of the Republic of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva, Vice-president of the Foundation Leyla Aliyeva and Arzu Aliyeva attended the event. 

Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the festivity: 

- Respected parents, teachers, dear children.

I want to sincerely congratulate each of you on the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year. Since the start of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s activity, i.e. for 15 years, we have been welcoming the New Year together. In the course of a year, we happen to meet also during various events, at different places. However, the New Year holiday is a special holiday, being the most favourable holiday of both children and the elderly. Today, we have a good chance to express our thoughts to each other, as a single family, and close, valuable and dear people. 

We have been living the last days of the year 2019. I am hopeful this year was successful for each of you. A number of mentionable and significant for our country events took place this year. Stability and peace was ensured in Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan has been developing. Reforms initiated by President Ilham Aliyev in 2018 have been continuing. In the report of the World Bank for 2020, Azerbaijan is ranked among the 20 most reformist countries of the world. In the report of the Davos World Economic Forum, Azerbaijan holds the 5^th place on the level of the leadership’s tendency towards reforms.  Among the 80 most powerful countries of the world, Azerbaijan was in the 45^th place this year. 

A series of significant international events, including the 7^th Global Baku Forum, 5^th World Intercultural Dialogue Forum, the 18^th Summit of state and government heads of countries-members of the Nonaligned Movement, the 2^nd Summit of World Religious Leaders, took place this year. A number of significant events took place also in other areas. Mentionable events in the cultural domain are, obviously, the inclusion of the Sheki Khan’s Palace and the historical centre of Sheki city in UNESCO’s World Heritage List, and Baku city’s having its place among UNESCO’s network of creativity cities. Great achievements were reached also in sports. In 2019, a number of international competitions took place in Azerbaijan. I want to specifically talk about the victory of one young man. In October this year, our young chess player Aydin Suleymanly gained victory in the world championship among girls and boys aged 14, 16 and 18. This, of course, makes each of us proud, and full of joy. 

In short, the country has reached new achievements and victories in a number of areas, almost in all domains of life. Dear friends, all the works that we have done to date, all the steps that we have taken are to ensure your happy future. 

New year is, at the same time, new wishes, new goals, and new possibilities. I wish the holiest wishes that you have been keeping in your hearts come true. I am confident, new victories and new achievements are facing our country. On this holiday, I want to thank our teachers for their matchless labour, for the attention they have shown towards our young generation, our children. I want to sincerely thank the people of art who have helped us, for the last 15 years, to create this festive environment together with the Heydar Aliyev Foundation’s staff, and entertained children participating in these festivities. 

Dear friends, I want to once more congratulate you on the World Azerbaijanis’ Solidarity Day and the New Year, wishing you sound health, and successes. I wish peace to our country. May God protect Azerbaijan and the people of Azerbaijan. Congratulation.