Nationwide Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev headed Azerbaijan twice (1969-1982, 1993-2003): at first when Azerbaijan was a part of the former USSR (1969) and then in the period of gaining independence (1993). Heydar Aliyev led Azerbaijan (in 1993 Azerbaijan was in the hardest economic, political and social crisis, defending itself from the fierce military aggression of neighboring Armenia that had occupied 20% of the primordial Azerbaijani lands and made 1 million Azerbaijani citizens refugees) to a new historical stage of modern development never before occurred in the history of the Azerbaijani nation. It was a way of independence, democracy, national consciousness, independent foreign and economic policy and creation of a multi-religious civil society.

On June 20, 1990 Heydar Aliyev returned to Baku and already the other day, on June 22, he departed for Nakhchivan. In Baku there was a real threat to his life from the side of official structures. From September 3, 1991 till June 9, 1993 he was in power in Nakhchivan, being in the political and economic blockade created by both partycrats and newly minted democrats. In such severe conditions he applied all efforts to keep the situation under control, working in a cold cabinet lightened with the kerosene lantern.

The situation in Nakhchivan was awful at that time. It was living through, probably, the most difficult period of its history. At that time the leadership of Azerbaijan held almost enemy position towards Nakhchivan. Just remember the leader of Azerbaijan said that time: "Nakhchivan is like appendix for me, if necessary I will cut it off". Under such circumstances Heydar Aliyev led Nakhchivan.

He started laborious, formidable everyday work for actual rescuing Nakhchivan from hunger and cold, rescuing from death. Turkey started supplying products, electricity, fuel, and President Souleymane Demirel himself visited Nakhchivan. The President of Iran Hashemi Rafsanjani also did not stand aloof and the flow of vital freights did not stop from this country. Heat, electricity returned to houses of Nakhchivan people, products appeared in stores. The threat of death receded. Though fights still continued in Garabagh, the ceasefire mode was established in Nakhchivan.

In winter 1990 the Supreme Soviet of Nakhchivan submitted the petition to the Supreme Soviet of Azerbaijan requesting to exclude the words "Soviet" and "socialist" from the official name of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, rename the Supreme Soviet into a Supreme Majlis and adopt a three-colored national flag as a heritage of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic, which had fallen as a result of the aggression of Bolsheviks in April 1920.

The activity of the Communist Party was suspended there. The population refused to take part in the Referendum on preserving the Soviet Union, though the authorities in Baku arranged the referendum in all the territories of Azerbaijan. The political assessment was announced towards the "black January" tragedy that took place in 1990. December 31 was announced the World Azerbaijanis Solidarity Day.

A step by step creation of the own border guard, national army and statehood started that time along with implementation of the agrarian reform. But all this caused rage and envy of official Baku instead of understanding and approval. In October 1992 the Baku authorities undertook a shameful military expedition against Nakhchivan and Heydar Aliyev. But it failed with a crash.

Meanwhile the situation in Azerbaijan was not improving. In the summer of 1993 the country was even on the verge of collapse. 

In 1993 the leaders of the People’s Front of Azerbaijan, who completely failed the construction of independent Azerbaijan, urgently called Heydar Aliyev to save the country. The situation was very daunting then. That time the Armenians intended to reach Ganja through Terter and Barda and take control over the entire western territories of the republic. In the south of the country Aliakram Gumbatov was trying to create the Talysh-Mugan republic. In the north of Azerbaijan sadvalists raised the head. And the country was on the verge of a civil war. The situation was complicated by the full stagnation of economy, quickly progressing inflation and demoralized army. It becomes clear that the destiny of Azerbaijan literally hung by a thread.

Special meeting of Milli Majlis elected Heydar Aliyev the speaker on June 15, 1993. On June 24, 1993 the parliament authorized him to fulfill the duties of the President of Azerbaijan. Finally, he was elected President of Azerbaijan by means of the nation-wide voting. 

Heydar Aliyev made an unyielding statement during his inauguration: “One of the main tasks that independent Republic of Azerbaijan faces is organization of statehood building. Our way is clear and we have repeatedly declared about it, it is the way of democracy. A rule-of-law state based on democracy principles must be established in independent Azerbaijan. Using its historical traditions, relying on world experience and universal human values, Azerbaijan must go along the way leading to the democratic state. It is the way we have chosen and today I promise that I will stay committed to it”.

Hard and painstaking work began for full restoration of the statehood and stability in Azerbaijan. So much efforts and energy the great man directed for saving the country. Journalists who chanced to cover foreign visits of Heydar Aliyev witnessed the way the leaders of England, France, China, Belgium and many other countries met Heydar Aliyev at first and how respectfully they saw him off. 

During his foreign visits, Nationwide Leader of Azerbaijan worked practically round the clock. While people accompanying him were tapped out, he used every minute for meeting ministers, officials of firms and banks convincing them not to be afraid of investing money into the development of Azerbaijan’s economy. 

The witnesses remember Heydar Aliyev’s meeting in Germany with representatives of the chemical concern which used to erect capacities in Sumgayit. “You are a phenomenon, Mr. President. I have never seen such a thing before”, the head of the chemical concern said after Heydar Aliyev, described full production cycle and called the details of things necessary for reconstruction. 

Now among Heydar Aliyev’s main achievements we can especially note:

• Heydar Aliyev was the only leader who did not yield even an inch of Azerbaijani land.
• Owing to Heydar Aliyev and his sizable reputation both in CIS and foreign countries Nakhchivan managed to overcome the blockade imposed by the communist regime and the National Front of Azerbaijan on the autonomous republic.
• Surrounded by numerous enemies of independent Azerbaijan, it took titanic efforts for Heydar Aliyev to prevent the threshold civil war and stop the Armenian aggression.
• A combat-capable army, which stopped the advancing of the Armenian aggressor, made it sign an armistice and start peaceful negotiations, was created within a short period of time. It may be said without exaggeration that an international conspiracy set against Azerbaijan was defeated. 

After reaching an armistice, signing contracts, taking its niche among CIS states and conveying the whole truth about Armenian aggression against Azerbaijan to the most important states of the world, Heydar Aliyev laid a foundation of new relationships with the CIS states.

• Amidst hard conditions when Heydar Aliyev faced the strongest opposition of external and internal forces, he managed to convince the western companies of the successful political future of Azerbaijan and continue negotiations about development of offshore fields in the Caspian Sea.
• The first contract (later they numbered 22 in general) that is hard to overestimate in the future fate of Azerbaijan was signed. Along with the economic factor, it created a new geopolitical situation in the Caspian-Black Sea region and far beyond it.
• Rebels inspired by neighbor countries were suppressed with the help of people and power ministries. Who knows what terrible consequences the Azerbaijani nation would face if the rebel initiators gained victory. 
• A leader heading the country is one of the main parameters in the system of international relations. Heydar Aliyev’s unique personality is known well enough in the international community. Meetings and negotiations that Heydar Aliyev held with executives of leading western companies helped Azerbaijan to present itself in a worthy manner at international political arenas. It in its turn helped to receive credits and international aid that the republic was deprived of in previous years. Several Azerbaijanis were elected deputies to the Georgian parliament owing to the purposeful and dynamic policy of Heydar Aliyev whereas there had been no deputy representing Azerbaijan there before. The attitude of the authorities of this republic toward Azerbaijan was improved considerably. Aliyev-Shevardnadze became a strong political force. 
• A decision on transportation of early oil through the two directions - Russian (north route) and Georgian (west route) - created a situation of dynamic balance in the region. Azerbaijan’s long-term interests based on economic factors were put forward when choosing the main route for oil export.  
• An international symposium dedicated to the restoration of the Great Silk Road was initiated by the President of Azerbaijan in Baku with participation of Presidents of interested countries.
• Solemn commissioning of Baku-Supsa oil pipeline which became a reality regardless of the pressure of neighbor countries took place on April 17, 1998. Not only the Azerbaijani but also Kazakh oil may be exported along the pipeline. The commissioning of the Baku-Supsa route means the restoration of the Great Silk Road.
• Implementation of the project of strategic oil pipeline for export of big volumes of Caspian oil along Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route, and the project of Baku-Tbilisi-Erzurum gas pipeline started. The operating Baku-Novorossiysk and Baku-Supsa as well as the planned Trans-Caspian gas pipeline practically changed the whole geopolitical situation in the region and turned Azerbaijan into a more important player in the world energy, economic and political arena. 

According to the data of IMF, the dynamics of investments attracted to Azerbaijan was as following: 

Meanwhile, assets of State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan reached $34 bln 325.7 mln as of April 1, 2013. 

Foreseeing changes in the world energy market and world economy, Heydar Aliyev has for the first time in the world worked out Azerbaijan’s energy security model for many decades to come. 

“Azerbaijan’s location at the junction of Europe and Asia obliges it to establish good relationships with the European, Asian as well as all other countries of the world”, Heydar Aliyev says. So the country establishes strategic friendly relationships with important world geopolitical centers which have been traditionally competing with one another. 

Reflecting for the first time in the world over its security and independence that are inseparably associated with the energy security Azerbaijan demonstrated the world the reality of alternative thinking in this extremely traditionalist and stereotyped sphere of the global economy. The leading world economies, the USA for instance have announced it a main vector for handling the financial-economic crisis observed over the past years. After delivery of Azeri oil to the world markets by means of the three oil-export routes, Azerbaijan is holding successful negotiations with its partners for gas export to the global markets. A new strategic project TANAP (Trans-Anatolian gas pipeline) emerges. “Today, gas sector plays an important role in ensuring energy security and energy independence of the world countries”, President Ilham Aliyev says. There are 7 export pipelines available for Azerbaijan enabling it to respond flexibly to the change of the situation at the world market. 

Over the past years Azerbaijan managed to turn from the recipient country into a donor supporting other states. According to Ilham Aliyev, despite the crisis raging in whole Europe the economical situation in Azerbaijan remains stable that is also fixed in international ratings. The country’s authority has been growing in the international arena. It is exemplified in Azerbaijan’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. 

Over the past years Azerbaijan managed to turn from the recipient country into a donor supporting other states. According to Ilham Aliyev, despite the crisis raging in whole Europe the economical situation in Azerbaijan remains stable that is also fixed in international ratings. The country’s authority is growing in the international arena. It is exemplified in Azerbaijan’s election as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. 

It was firmness of Nationwide Leader of Azerbaijan Heydar Aliyev’s decisiveness that helped to lay the basis of this strategy in 90s, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev emphasized.