After the opening of a 15-km section of the Sabirabad-Gasimbayli-Narlig-Garagashli road, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev visited the secondary school named after Hilal Annagiyev in the Gasimbayli village after completion of major overhaul there.
Representatives of the public warmly welcomed the head of state.
Saluting village residents, President Ilham Aliyev said:
My congratulations on the opening of a new school. It is a great school, we are creating good conditions for children. Let me also congratulate you on the opening of a new road.
This is only the first stage because construction of the road is ongoing. The first 15-km section has been built. Roads have already been built to several villages, but the road will be 68 km in length.
I am aware that one of the biggest concerns for the local population was the very poor condition of the road. Therefore, measures were taken and funds allocated from the Reserve Fund of the President, and now the first stage has already been completed. This was an earth road before. It had never been asphalted. Now a wonderful asphalt road is being laid, and I want to repeat that this is only the first stage. All village roads are being renovated and rebuilt in Azerbaijan.
The process of road construction is rapidly ongoing in both the suburban settlements of Baku and in the outermost villages and districts. I do hope that the new leadership of the district will successfully cope with the task. The new head of the executive authority is an experienced man. He has worked in several districts and shown good results. I am sure that with your help he will work well in such a major district as Sabirabad.
I want all social and economic issues in Sabirabad District to be resolved as soon as possible. Additional funds will certainly be allocated for that. All the issues envisaged under the State Program on the socioeconomic development of districts must be resolved. The key infrastructure issues will be resolved in the coming years. There is a great need for the construction of schools. There are 84 schools in Sabirabad. They must be renovated, new schools must be built.
Projects are being developed in relation to village roads, drinking water and sewage. As is the case in all other districts, a gasification project is being prepared. The issue of supplying natural gas to most villages of the district is on the agenda now. This issue is under consideration now. The state oil company has been directed to resolve this issue soon, within two years.
The Gasimbayli village was inundated in last year’s mudslides and floods. I am told that a total of over 1,000 homes were destroyed or brought to emergency condition in Sabirabad District. The process of restoration and reconstruction of these homes is now under way. About 1,000 homes have been built. But this process is still ongoing. Our main task is to be prepared for any calamities in the years ahead. To do that, we are conducting shore protection activities, their quality should further improve. Even more comprehensive work should be carried out. At the same time, the restoration of houses, construction of schools and renovation of health facilities should progress even faster. I do hope that all our tasks will be fulfilled because we have the political will and thought-out programs. We are implementing them. I am convinced that by 2013, with the completion of the second program on districts, all social and infrastructure issues should be resolved. I want to reiterate that the construction of this road is the first stage. Many more roads are to be and will be laid, many schools will be built. We must create all suitable conditions for people to live and work well.
Congratulations again!
Resident: Thank you very much, Mr. President. Let me salute and welcome you on behalf of our residents. May Allah send you and your family many years of life and good health for having created such conditions for us, for the Gasimbayli village, for Azerbaijan as a whole. Amen!
Resident: Last year our village and district experienced a calamity. You have been meeting with us for the third time over the year. You are examining on the ground whether the instructions you have issued to resolve our problems are being fulfilled. Last year, when the calamity occurred, you, Mr. President, were our only hope. And you were of tremendous support for us. We were distraught at the time. But when we saw the modern hardware, machinery and manpower coming to our rescue, we were overjoyed because we have such a President!
Our homes were destroyed, tens of thousands of areas under crop were flooded. The place we are standing on now was flooded too. Now, Mr. President, a paradise has emerged here on your instruction. We can never thank you enough for this. Thank you very much indeed for all this!
President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you. I am very glad that all the repair and restoration work has been completed in a short period of time. Of course, during the calamity our top priority was to move people to safety without any losses and create conditions for them. All state bodies and private companies worked actively and in a coordinated manner then. All conditions were created, even health facilities were set up. Conditions were created for kids to go to school. Tents were set up, hot food provided. In other words, all our people were mobilized. Why?! Because our citizens got into a difficult situation.
In the face of this calamity we demonstrated our strength and mobilization of our people. On coming here then, I set forth the task: the entire work must be completed in a short period of time. Restoration must be carried out, homes built. Most houses were built in several months. It took major funds. We introduced additions to the state budget. A large amount was arranged. About 1,000 beautiful homes were built at state expense in Sabirabad District alone. You know very well that most houses here were built of air-dried brick. This is why the water destroyed them. Now you can see wonderful stone houses and great schools with good conditions.
I want to repeat: what happened was a kind of a test for us. We came out of it with credit. At the same time, we demonstrated the power of our country. We managed to do all this work at our own expense and without any losses. Today we can see the results of this great work. But let me repeat: I think the work done is only part of what remains to be done. A lot is still to be done. We must develop the whole country, create favorable conditions. We are working on creating new jobs. Today I will attend several ceremonies. New enterprises are opening, new buildings and schools being built and roads being laid. There is development and progress everywhere. I want this work to progress even faster. At the same time, I want to see the situation myself, find out what else needs to be done to ensure that our things are at the desired level.
Residents: Thank you very much, Mr. President, may Allah grant you a long life. May Allah protect you. This school for 464 children was flooded. In essence, this school has been rebuilt. About 75-80 per cent of our village houses were built of air-dried brick. They were all destroyed. Now, thanks to you, great new houses have been built.
President Ilham Aliyev: That is the way it should be!
Resident: Thank you very much. We are expressing our gratitude to you on behalf of the population of Sabirabad District, residents of the Gasimbayli village. May Allah protect you!
Resident: Mr. President! This school is named after my husband. He died as a martyr in the Karabakh war.
President Ilham Aliyev: May all our martyrs rest in peace.
Resident: His bust has also been installed thanks to you. A house is under construction for me.
President Ilham Aliyev: Was your house destroyed?
Resident: It was in emergency condition.
President Ilham Aliyev: Has it been rebuilt?
Resident: No, it is under construction now. I want to thank you on behalf of my family, and wish you good health and many years of life.
President Ilham Aliyev: Thank you very much.
Resident: Dear Mr. President. Along with this school, another new school has been built in our representative establishment. Two schools and a kindergarten have been refurbished. We are expressing our thanks to you on behalf of all teachers and pupils. Thanks to your patronage, the Gasimbayli administrative unit has become very pretty indeed. But we can’t but mention one thing: if you hadn’t built this bridge several years ago, last year’s calamity would have cost us all very dearly. We could have suffered human loss and other difficulties. On behalf of Gasimbayli residents we are expressing out gratitude to you for all this. We wish you many years of life, good health and happiness.
Resident: Mr. President, may Allah help you. The road you have built is used by 35,000 people. We had never seen such a comfortable road because the earth road was dusty in the summer and muddy in the winter. We didn’t have such roads in the Soviet times either. May Allah grant you many years of life and good health. The 35,000 residents of our village want to ask you for a favor and I want to pass on this request to you. We are asking you to issue an instruction that another such bridge be built across the Kura river.
President Ilham Aliyev: So is there a need for that?
Resident: Yes there is. This road leads from there to Kurdamir.
President Ilham Aliyev: Please submit this suggestion, we will examine it and incorporate it into the investment program. A road has now been built to 17 villages. But our work doesn’t end at that. At some point good roads must be laid to other villages too. This road will connect 33,000 people. But the town has a population of over 150,000 people. Therefore, from now onwards the construction of roads, construction of village roads will progress even faster.
Of course, trunk road construction projects were a priority for us at the first stage. We can say that we are about to complete them. Wonderful roads are being laid from Baku to all our borders. But at the same time, inter-city and rural roads will certainly be built as well. Your suggestions will also be taken into consideration.
Resident: As an elder I want to thank you on behalf of Sabirabad residents. Such roads are being built in our village too, dams are being strengthened.
President Ilham Aliyev: Do you live in this village or another?
Resident: I live in a neighboring village. An asphalt road has been laid there, our dams have been strengthened. I want to give my blessing. May Allah give you many years of life and good health. May luck always be on your side.
Resident: I also represent this village. This work is very gratifying for us. These places used to be in a very poor condition, while now they are in blossom. People live well and prosper. This prosperity has been created by you, on your instruction. You have saved us from this calamity, from suffering. May Allah grant you many years of life.
People have asked me to communicate our gratitude to you, Mr. President. Along with brick houses, there are reed homes as well. You know that this is a rural area. There are homes made of air-dried brick. Now all the houses are built of stone. May Allah help you. We are very happy. But we want this issue to be considered too.
President Ilham Aliyev: Do you mean the undestroyed houses? We will consider that issue too.
Resident: May Allah protect you, we are very pleased with you. All this remarkable work is being done thanks to you. Mr. President, all the residents of Sabirabad are standing by you, we are your support. We are awaiting your order. Both we ourselves and our children are ready to fulfill your orders in the Karabakh issue.
President Ilham Aliyev: I know.
Resident: Thank you, Mr. President. May Allah protect you from evil.
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Local residents had their picture taken with the head of state.
