Azerbaijan & Pakistan
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Azerbaijan&Pakistan 20 Years of Friendship and Cooperation Map of Azerbaijan i ISBN 978-969-9684-04-3 C The Diplomatic Insight, 2013 Azerbaijan&Pakistan 20 Years of Friendship and Cooperation First Edition Published in 2013 Published by: The Diplomatic Insight in collaboration with Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan to Pakistan ii CONTENTS Preface iii Republic of Azerbaijan 1 Heydar Aliyev: National Leader of Azerbaijan 6 Ilham Aliyev: The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan 9 Mehriban Aliyev: A Woman of Substance 10 President, Heydar Aliyev Foundation Legacy of the Oil Barons 15 Baku’s Maiden Tower........ 18 Nizami’s “Seven Beauties”.... 21 Islamic Republic of Pakistan 26 Dynamic of Relations-Pakistan and Azerbaijan 35 Pakistan and Azerbaijan: 20 Years of Proven Relations 47 Azerbaijan on the Track Towards Knowledge Economy 58 Azerbaijan’s Economic Development: Achievement and 61 Prospects Pakistan-Azerbaijan Relations 65 Human Rights Perspective: Simmering Conflict 70 of Nogorno-Karabakh Azerbaijan Quest For Peaceful Existence 74 Pakistan-Azerbaijan Ties: Road Towards Strengthening 78 Cooperation Norgorno-Karabakh Conflict: is there a way out of the 83 deadlock? Contribution of Heydar Aliyev Foundation for the 92 Development of Pakistan Concluding Reflections and Policy Options 103 iii PREFACE Azerbaijan and Pakistan, brotherly Muslim countries have unique commonalities of historical, religious and political nature. Pakistan recognized independence of Azerbaijan in 1991 (the second country after Turkey) and later two countries established diplomatic relations in 1992. Pakistan was one of the first countries to open its embassy in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan. Ever since the first visit of the then President Farooq Ahmed Khan Lagari to Azerbaijani capital, Baku in 1995 and a reciprocal visit of Azerbaijan's late President Heydar Aliyev in April 1996 to Pakistan, lots of ground has been covered in terms of political and economic spheres. Both countries have supported each other in every international forum. Azerbaijan supports Pakistan's position on Kashmir problem and Pakistan supports Azerbaijan's position on Nagorno- Karabakh issue. Pakistan and the people of Pakistan can well understand and feel the pain of Azerbaijani people and sufferings of people of Nagorno-Karabakh as we are facing similar bloodshed in Kashmir since the time of our inception in 1947. Pakistan has not yet recognized Armenia because of its aggression to the Azerbaijani people. This has also resulted in the successful development of relations between Pakistan and Azerbaijan. They have been established on the ground of friendly and fraternal principles. Pakistanis leadership is fully cognizant of the importance of its relations with Azerbaijan. That is why, in recent years, we have been looking for ways and means to strengthen our partnership with Azerbaijan and focus trade and commercial relations, which are not commensurate with the level of our political understanding. Azerbaijan has also extended great help in 2005 earthquake and 2010 & 2011 floods in Pakistan. The Government of the Republic of Azerbaijan has allocated an amount of US $ 2 million to help the victims of devastating flood affected areas of the Sindh province of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan on October 27, 2011. In short, our relations are characterized by consistency, stability, mutual respect and trust. To document the journey of togetherness, the book in your hand is the second edition of an earlier effort. This edition is unique, different and diverse kind in a sense that it includes the latest and updated information about Azerbaijan-Pakistan relationship, including the two decades of congeniality. The book also contains various expressions and articles by the people from both sides, especially focusing on the issues of mutual interest and correlations. Pakistan-Azerbaijan Dosti Zindabad 01 Republic of Azerbaijan Overview Territory: 86,6 thousand square km Climate: Dry, subtropical with hot summers and mild winters; forests, meadows, and alpine tundra in the mountains. Neighbors: Azerbaijan borders with Iran (765 km) and Turkey (15 km) on the south, Russia (390 km) on the north, Georgia (480 km) on the north-west and Armenia (1007 km) on the west. Population: 9.022 million (April 2010) Religion: Muslims 93.4%, Russian Orthodox 2.5%, Armenian Orthodox Church 2.3%, and other 1.8%. Agriculture: cotton, tobacco, grain, grapes, fruits, vegetables, tea, cattle Natural resources: Oil, natural gas, ferrous and nonferrous metals, gold, silver. Major trade partners: Italy, USA, Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Iran etc. Economy: GDP 54,37$ billion, GDP growth rate 5 %, inflation 7.9% Literacy rate : 99.5% History Today's Azerbaijani citizens are the heirs to a rich history and culture. Located in the Caucasus, on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, the modern Republic of Azerbaijan occupies the world's most important strategic crossroads between East and West. A country at the center of the historic Silk Road, Azerbaijan treasures its natural and cultural diversity. The largest country of the South Caucasus, it is home, along with ethnic Azeris, to more than 70 different ethnic groups. Ancient Period Azerbaijan with its favorable nature and a mild climate was among the birthplaces of mankind. It was here that the Azykh cave, the earliest human habitat on Earth dating back 1-1,2 million years, was found. As early as in the third millennium BC, tribal entities like Aratta, Lullubum and Kutium emerged on the territory of historic Azerbaijan. Later, in the first millennium BC, the states of Manna 02 and Midiya were established on Azerbaijani lands. Located at the heart of ancient civilizations, Azerbaijan has been invaded and fought over by many empires and rulers, including Alexander the Great, the Roman general Pompey, the Mongol conqueror Chenghis Khan, and Russia's Peter the Great. The conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great led to the emergence of the states of Atropatena (Adarbaygan) and the Caucasian Albania. Atropatena was established in the year 323 BC on the Azerbaijani –populated territories, which are now in Iran, and the Caucasian Albania in 4-5th century BC on the territory of the present-day Republic of Azerbaijan. Middle Ages In the 7th century, Muslim Arabs invaded Azerbaijan introducing Islam to the Caucasus. Until the 9th century Azerbaijan was a province of the Arab Caliphate which gradually weakened and lost its influence. The 9th century saw the formation of feudal states on the Azerbaijani lands. The most stable among them was the state of Shirvanshahs, which survived until 1538. Azerbaijan became a part of the Seljuk Empire in the 11th century. Under the Seljuk rule, the immigration of Turkic tribes further strengthened the ancient and already dominant Turkic presence in Azerbaijan. The 12th century marked the emergence of the powerful state of Atabeys (Eldegizes) and the ''age of the Muslim renaissance'' in Azerbaijan. This “renaissance” owed its glory, among others, to the literary genius of Nizami Ganjavi, poets like Mahsati Ganjavi, Abu-l Ula Ganjavi, Falaki Shirvani, Khaqani Shirvani, and the architect Ajami Nakhchivani. Azerbaijani literary and architectural masterpieces became an outstanding contribution to the world's cultural heritage. The Mongols invaded Azerbaijan in the 13th century and at the end of the 14th century Azerbaijan was conquered by the Central Asian ruler Tamerlan. 03 Early Modern Period Between 1501 and 1736 the Azerbaijani Sefevi dynasty, founded by Shah Ismayil Khatai, ruled Iran and neighboring countries, including Azerbaijan. Among the 19 semi-independent entities, such as khanates and sultanates, which emerged following the fall of the Sefevi dynasty, were the Azerbaijani khanates of Karabakh with the capital in Shusha and the khanate of Iravan with the capital in Iravan (Yerevan, the capital of modern Armenia). Modern Era Russia's imperial expansion in the Caucasus began in 1723 with Peter the Great's Caspian crusade. In 1796 the Russian army returned to the Caucasus. After the annexation of Georgia in 1801, the Russian Empire began the process of occupation of the Azerbaijani khanates, and by 1828, after two Russian-Persian wars, Azerbaijan was split into two parts. The northern portion is what would become modern Azerbaijan. Since the mid of 19th century the oil industry has been flourishing in Azerbaijan. The first industrial oil well was drilled in 1848. In the late 19th - early 20th centuries, Baku was producing 95% of the Russian Empire's and about 50% of the world's oil production. Westerners such as the Nobels and Rotchshilds were among the oil magnates of Baku. It was also at that time that the Azerbaijani composer Uzeyir Hajibayov wrote his “Leyli and Majnun,” the first opera in the Muslim world. When the Czar's rule ended in Russia at the end of World War I, Azerbaijan seized the opportunity to declare its independence. On May 28, 1918 - a date still celebrated today as the Republic Day - the Azerbaijani people established their own independent state, the first Republic in the Muslim East. Within two years of declaring independence, however, Russia again asserted its rule over Azerbaijan. In April 1920, the Bolshevik 04 Red Army supported by Armenian armed units invaded the country massacring scores of civilians and overthrowing the democratic government. Azerbaijan was forcibly incorporated into the Soviet Union and for the next 70 years, was governed under Communist rule. Contemporary During the late 1980s, many Azerbaijanis were hopeful that independence would return as a result of the Soviet Union's decline. On October 18, 1991, the Constitutional Act on the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan was approved. This was also a period when the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan became a major international dispute. The collapse of the Soviet Union had created chaos and uncertainty in the region, and Armenian extremists took advantage of these circumstances. In 1992, Armenia launched a campaign of open aggression against Azerbaijan.