President Aliyev: "Economy and energy security are Azerbaijan's priority tasks"

Speaking at the Friday meeting with the public leaders of Zardab District, which is in the central part of Azerbaijan, he stressed that really independent are only the countries that base their development on internal resources, Itar-Tass reports.

"We are working to consolidate our country's independence and, therefore, we need stable economic development," Aliyev stated, noting that "Azerbaijan is not materially dependent on any country whatsoever and, therefore, will contribute also to the prompt commissioning of the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil pipeline." Describing this as a historical event, Aliyev stressed that the pipeline, in the building of which four billion U.S. dollars were invested," is bound to influence the world processes in the foreseeable future."

The president also stressed the need of improving the living standards of the population. The government is constantly increasing their salaries and other social allowances, is promoting private business, and has for the first time ever allocated 100 million U.S. dollars for these purposes in 2006, thereby, providing 400,000 new workplaces. Aliyev had promised in his 2003 election program to provide 600,000 workplaces in the next five years.

Aliyev is now on a two-day trip to the central districts of Azerbaijan. He is familiarising himself with the implementation of the state regional development program and has attended the opening of several social institutions in the Udzhar and Zardob districts of the country.