President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev: biography, political activity and family

It can be said that this man went to his presidency from his youth, and the most important post of the country was inherited from his father. And no matter how much criticism is poured into his address, one thing remains obvious: Ilham Aliyev, the son of Heydar Aliyev, has done a lot of good for his country as the president of Azerbaijan. This is recognized not only by Azerbaijanis, but also by foreign politicians.

Childhood and early youth

Aliyev Ilham Heydarovich was born in the capital Azerbaijan SSR on December 24, 1961. At that time, his father was already a fairly large official - he served as deputy chief of the city department of the KGB. And soon he became a boss. After some time Heydar Aliyev was elected First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of the Republic.

In 1967, the offspring of the main person of Azerbaijan became a pupil of the Baku secondary school No. 6, which he graduated in 1977. No one in the family had any particular doubts about the further development of the events. Ilham was waiting for Moscow and, of course, one of its most prestigious institutions.

In the first summer after the graduation ball, Ilham Aliyev, whose biography began so successfully, became a student of MGIMO. At the time of admission, he was only 15 years old, and the admissions committee only gave a "good" only after receiving a certificate that Aliev would be 16 in a few months.

According to the future president, it was not easy to study in the capital. But he did his best and did not disgrace his father. In 1982, the parents of the young man moved to Moscow, and at that time he graduated from the Institute of International Relations and entered his postgraduate course. In 1985, Ilham Aliyev defended his doctoral dissertation, which gave him a Ph.D. in historical sciences.

Start of work

The year of graduation from the MGIMO postgraduate course by a young Azerbaijani coincides with the beginning of his work in this prestigious university. And, probably, Aliyev Ilham Heydarovich would have remained an institute teacher, if political events had not interfered.

Perestroika was in full swing, Mikhail Gorbachev actively "cleaned" the cadres, and Heydar Aliyev did not come to his "court". He was sent into retirement, and his son had to resign from MGIMO.

Some mass media wrote then that Mikhail Sergeyevich "wrote off" Aliyev, the elder, because he saw in him a competitor. According to the official version, such "sudden" retirement was explained by the state of health of the politician.

One way or another, but the family had to return to Azerbaijan, where Ilham was engaged in business at the dawn of the nineties, and then, in 1992, he left to work in Turkey. At home, he returned only two years later, when his father took over as president of the newly-founded state.

Almost 10 years (from 1994 to 2003), Ilham Aliyev helped the first person of Azerbaijan to carry out the so-called "oil strategy", being "at the helm" of the state oil company of the country (first as its vice-president, and then - first vice- -President).

The beginning of political career

Work in the oil company Ilham Aliyev combined with the "courses of the presidency." In another way, this part of his activities can not be called. The fact is that the President of Azerbaijan constantly invited his son to take part in official state-level events. All told only about one thing: the head of the country prepares an heir. In favor of this assumption, the rapid growth of the political career of the presidential offspring is also evidence.

In 1995 Ilham Aliyev received a deputy mandate in the Parliament of Azerbaijan, and in 1997 he headed the National Olympic Committee. In 2000, Aliyev was re-elected to the Milli Mejlis deputies and then received the post of deputy chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, which was in power in the country.

A year later the president's son received an "exit to Europe", leading the parliamentary delegation of the republic to the European Council. In this position he remained until January 2003, and then became a member of the Bureau and the PACE Vice-President. But in this "hypostasis" Aliyev did not stay long - only until August 2003. On the fourth day he was appointed prime minister of Azerbaijan.

Presidency

This date - August 4 - actually became the beginning of Aliyev's junior presidential term. His father at that time was already seriously ill and almost always was on treatment in the US, then in Turkey. There was no power to control the country. According to the amendments to the Constitution, adopted literally a year before, the powers of the incapable president automatically passed to the prime minister, who was the son of the formal head of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.

Meanwhile, the term of the presidency of Aliyev the elder was coming to an end. And, despite his state of health, he registered as a candidate for the upcoming elections. The same was done by his son, motivating this act with a desire to support his father.

But in the end everything turned out exactly the opposite. The father withdrew his candidacy in favor of the offspring and called on the people to vote for him. What the Azerbaijanis did. In the elections on October 15, 2003, Ilham Aliyev voted for more than 76 percent of voters. And this meant victory in the first round.

31.10.03 Aliyev Jr. officially took office, and on 12.12.03 it became known about the death of the elder. On October 15, 2008, incumbent President Ilham Aliyev won the elections again and stayed for a second term. This time, 88% of voters trusted him.

And a year later - in 2009 - the republic held a referendum, according to which the rule on the limit of the presidency was abolished. And Aliyev got the right to run as many times as he pleases. On October 9, 2013 he won the presidential election for the third time.

Domestic policy

During his debut inauguration speech the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, promised the country bright prospects. And he did not lie.

Literally from the very first steps in power, the head of state made the main emphasis on the development of the oil industry. Internal investments were also stimulated, jobs were created and private business was encouraged, social and economic policies were carried out in the regions. And all this very quickly gave good results.

By 2007, the republic's gross domestic product reached three thousand dollars per capita, and Azerbaijan was recognized as one of the fastest growing countries in the world.

In the state, the level of medical care was rapidly rising, housing was being built, roads were being repaired. And people were becoming more and more trustworthy to their president.

Relations with Russia

As soon as Aliyev, Jr. took over the country's main post, he went to Moscow, where he concluded an agreement on cooperation with the Russian president (Vladimir Putin) . After that, trade and economic relations between the two countries intensified significantly, which benefited both sides. In addition, Azerbaijan provided support to the Russian Federation in the fight against Chechen terrorists.

Relations with Armenia

The most problematic point of Baku's foreign policy was relations with Armenia. Ilham Aliyev made attempts to restore order in this area, for which he held a series of meetings and negotiations. But none of them succeeded.

In April 2005, the Azerbaijani President stated that Baku does not exclude military confrontation with its neighbor and is ready for it. And after another unsuccessful negotiations in May of the same year, the leader of the republic focused on the construction of an oil pipeline along the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan route. It ran through the territory of Karabakh and could make Yerevan more tractable.

As a result, this project has brought even more benefits than expected. Its launch put an end to Moscow's oil hegemony, and Azerbaijan began to rapidly grow rich.

Relations with the USA

An uneasy inheritance went to Aliyev Jr. and in the Baku-Tehran-Washington relations sector.

The US increased its opposition to Iran, which, contrary to the will of the world community, developed nuclear potential, and viewed Azerbaijan as a site for attacking this country. And Tehran, in turn, promised to bomb the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline, if this option becomes a reality.

Departing for talks in Washington in 2006, the President of Azerbaijan stated that the territory of his state will never become a foothold of military operations.

Relations with Europe

But with Europe, relations with Azerbaijan from the very beginning of the presidency of Aliyev formed much more kind.

Underlying the mutual understanding was the energy issue, which was especially acute during the conflict between Gazprom and the Ukrainian authorities, which resulted in a sharp decline in the supply of blue fuel to the European Union.

In addition, the Europeans have repeatedly expressed admiration for the relatively rapid pace of development of Azerbaijan and provided support to it.

Aliyev and the opposition

No government, even the most solid and authoritative, does not do without opposition. With protest moods in the society, Ilham Aliyev faced in the very first "minutes" of his presidency. Already the day after the 2003 elections, people who did not recognize the outcome of the vote came out on the square. The protests were brutally suppressed by the authorities - there were even no human victims.

The next "attack" of the Azerbaijani opposition happened after 2 years. And he was also ruthlessly "docked". For this purpose, troops had to enter Baku. Thousands of people were arrested. The situation in the country was really explosive, but Aliyev was supported by then-US President George W. Bush. And gradually the situation leveled off.

The personal life of the President of Azerbaijan

The marriage of the President is an example of strong and harmonious marital relations. Ilham Aliyev's wife, Mehriban, supports her husband in everything since 1983, when their wedding took place. Being the national standard of beauty, a very intelligent, active and educated woman, she tries not to "expose" her dignity and in public stays in the shadow of her husband.

For more than thirty years together, the couple managed to "earn" three children. And in 2008 Ilham Aliyev's eldest daughter And his wife, Leila, gave her parents at once two grandchildren - she gave birth to twin boys. The youngest daughter of the couple, Arzu, is also married.

But as for the president's third child, the Azerbaijanis are seriously questioning whether the son of Ilham Aliyev will become his heir at the post of head of state, as he once became. Wait and see. So far, it's too early to talk about this. The father is full of strength, and Heydar, named after his grandfather, is still too young - he was born in 1997.