The “VIOAS” Magazine (Voice of the Indian and Arabian Sea) proclaimed President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev the “Man of the Year”. The magazine dedicated its Christmas issue to Azerbaijan on this occasion.
The “VIOAS” issues: “Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev – after 10 years in office –found himself re-elected on 9th October, 2013 for another term with overwhelming support of his people. He has reduced poverty by 90% and his vision is to double the GDP by 2020.”
“Few countries, if any, can match or even replicate what Azerbaijan has done over the last decade-high economic growth, rapid and deep poverty reduction and the rise of a modern and prosperous society. This would, of course, not have occurred had it not been for the strong, steady and popular leadership of Ilham Aliyev, who on 9th of October 2013, won a third term of office for another five years with 85 per cent of the vote.”
The author of the article dedicated to the Head of State James R. Mancham writes: “I was one of those persons invited in my capacity as a Vice-President of CAPDI (Centrist Asia Pacific Democrats International), to monitor this election-with my group being led by none other but the Honourable Jose de Venecia, who himself has been the Speaker of the National Assembly of the Philippines for many years.
Ilham Aliyev is the son of Heydar Aliyev, who was President from October 1993 to 2003 when he was succeeded by his son. Heydar Aliyev led Soviet Azerbaijan from 1969 to 1982.
Ilham Aliyev became a reformist leader presiding over unprecedented growth, high profile foreign affairs and responsible for dramatically reducing poverty.
On the eve of my departure from London to Baku by Azerbaijan Airline, I unexpectedly listened to a radio report about President Aliyev and Azerbaijan which projected a rather worrying picture and made me anticipate arriving in Baku to an atmosphere of tension. Glad to say I have always been a believer in what I call “the tone level of a nation”, which for me, is at times more revealing of the state and mood of a nation as opposed to statistics and professional political analysis. The tone level of a nation certainly projects the true feelings of the people and their expectations for today and tomorrow against the realistic background of prevailing circumstances.
Moreover, in his last electoral address to the nation, President Aliyev was able to proclaim that Azerbaijan has been on of the fastest growing economies in the world over the last 10 years.
Besides the remarkable increase in Gross Domestic Product (GDP), the oil boom has also resulted in a three fold increase in savings. In his last electoral address, President Aliyev spoke about his strategy “Azerbaijan 2020: Outlook for the future which sets the stage for the country`s development over the coming years.” Briefly, under this strategy, the country will double its per capita GDP by year 2020-and this will in turn move Azerbaijan from a traditional economy to a knowledge-based one, with the strategy focusing on infrastructure with particular emphasis on transport, urban services and private sector development.
Higher public investment spending, supported by transfers from the State Oil Fund, is expected to further spur growth in 2014. Therefore, Azerbaijan`s energy output is expected to expand more as new gas field development now under exploration move to the state of exploration towards year 2015.
That a magazine like VIOAS chooses a leader from the Caucasus region of Central Asia as its “Man of the Year” tells us how much the world has changed over the last century with Azerbaijan becoming a model of incisive and inclusive development for most emerging countries.
President Aliyev is representative of the statesmen-like qualities which combined with intelligent and resolute leadership are guiding the people of the once Third World towards modernity in the early years of the 21st century. Under today`s globalization impact, the power balance is steadily shifting from Atlantic towards the Indian Ocean and the Pacific.
Seychelles was one referred to as “a tiny nation”. Despite that, globalization has provided me with the bravado to state at several international forums that “no country” small if it is surrounded by the sea: and to assert the fact that people who inhabits small countries are not necessarily “small people”.
Be it noted that in year 2011, Azerbaijan was elected as a Non-Permanent of the Security Council of the United Nations-a role which it has discharged competently and with admiration under the wise leadership of its President.”
The other article headlined “Azerbaijan makes important contribution to restoration of justice on international” was also published in the VIOAS Christmas issues.
The article reads: “Azerbaijan made an important contribution to the restoration of justice on the international level and principles of international law during its presidency at the UN Security Council (UNSC).
Azerbaijan held the chairmanship of the UN Security Council in May 2012, and is chairing it again in October.
A number of important decisions were adopted, as well as important issues of the international peace and securities, were discussed during this period.
Also, a high-level meeting of the UN Security Council on strengthening the partnership between the United Nations and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) was held on Azerbaijan`s initiative.”

Azertac