Mehriban Aliyeva is a vivid example of serving the state and the people

Mehriban Arif gizi Aliyeva is a prominent figure who has made great contributions to the socio-political life of Azerbaijan, humanitarian and cultural spheres, being an example of a 21st-century Azerbaijani woman. She was born on 26 August 1964 in the city of Baku to a family of intelligentsia. Having finished secondary school №23 in Baku City with a gold medal in 1981, she entered the Treatment and Prophylaxis Faculty of the Azerbaijan State Medical University named after N.Narimanov.In 1988, Mehriban Aliyeva graduated from the First Moscow State Medical Institute named after M.Sechenov with honours diploma. In 1988-1990, she passed clinical residency in Eye Diseases department at the First Moscow State Medical Institute named after I. M. Sechenov. In 1990-1995, she worked at the Eye Diseases Research Institute in Moscow under the leadership of Academician Krasnov.

Since 1995, Mehriban Aliyeva has been actively engaged in humanitarian and cultural activities. In the same year, the Azerbaijan Culture Foundation, which is currently led by her, was established upon Mehriban Aliyeva’s initiative. In 1996, with the objective of extensive promotion of the Azerbaijani culture, Mehriban Aliyeva founded the “Azerbaijan – Irs” Magazine, which is published in three languages (Azerbaijani, English and Russian).

On October 7, 2002, Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva was elected President of Azerbaijan Gymnastics Federation (AGF).  In a short period of time, this federation has become one of the most influential sports organizations in Europe. Due to the federation’s activities, international tournaments in rhythmic gymnastics began to be held in Azerbaijan. Mehriban Aliyeva’s humanitarian work, which started in 2004, has further expanded due to the activities of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation. Serving as the president of the Foundation, Mehriban Aliyeva has implemented multifaceted projects in the fields of education, healthcare, protection of cultural heritage, and support for socially vulnerable groups of the population.

On December 28, 2004, Mehriban Aliyeva was elected a member to the Executive Committee of the National Olympic Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the 4th General Assembly of the Organization. In the same year she has been a member of the Political Board of the New Azerbaijan Party.

In 2005, 2010 and 2015, Mehriban Aliyeva was elected as a Member of Parliament during the third, fourth, and fifth convocations of the Milli Majlis of the Republic of Azerbaijan. In the same year Mehriban Aliyeva received an academic degree of PhD in Philosophy. In November 2006, Mehriban Aliyeva was named an ISESCO Goodwill Ambassador for her outstanding contributions to the humanitarian field, including the development of dialogue among civilizations and cultures, promotion of Islamic cultural legacy and for her tremendous role in addressing problems of children with special needs.

On February 21, 2017, Mehriban Aliyeva was appointed First Vice-President of the Republic of Azerbaijan by an order of President Ilham Aliyev.  The appointment is considered to be a logical outcome of her rich and devoted activities in the socio-political sphere, organizational capabilities, and dedication to the principles of serving the citizens. Mehriban Aliyeva’s words: “The responsibility on me is extremely big. I have to justify the trust of the President and, most principally, the trust of people who hold faith and hope” reflected the depth of this responsibility.

The goal of modernization of our country’s education system and its integration into the world’s education system occupies a special place in the wide scale programs and projects initiated by the First Lady of Azerbaijan. The programs on “the development of children’s homes and boarding schools”, “the new school for renewed Azerbaijan”, “support for education”, “development of pre-school education facilities” and other programs play an important role in the development of education. As for the healthcare of the people, such unrivalled projects as “highest care for children with diabetes”, “for the sake of life without thalassemia” and “restoration and development of healthcare facilities” and many charity actions are treated with a great deal of sympathy and are producing good results. Within the framework of these projects, the modern Thalassemia Center, the Rehabilitation Center for People with Down’s Syndrome, the Rehabilitation Center for children needing special care, the Psychoneurological Child Center and other healthcare facilities have been built or overhauled and put into commissioning.

The enhancement of Azerbaijan’s international reputation and the promotion of its cultural heritage to the global community play a significant role in the activities of Mehriban Aliyeva. Through projects initiated by her, cultural heritage sites such as the Gobustan prehistoric rock drawings, Icherisheher, the Sheki Khan’s Palace, and the Cultural Landscape of Khinalig have been inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Simultaneously, Mugham and Ashiq Art, Kelaghayi, the heritage of “Dede Gorgud”, and other cultural elements have been included in the List of Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Mehriban Aliyeva’s care for Azerbaijani mugham is an important part of her multifaceted activities in the preservation and popularization of our national cultural heritage. The recognition of mugham as a UNESCO masterpiece of intangible cultural heritage of humanity is the result of initiatives by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in this field. The International Mugham Festival and mugham competitions held since 2005 have created opportunities for the development of young performers and have revived mugham among local and foreign audiences. The establishment of the Mugham Center in Baku, initiated by Mehriban Aliyeva, is one of the most modern infrastructure facilities created for the development of Azerbaijani musical culture. The Center, engaged in research, teaching, and promotion of mugham art, makes an invaluable contribution to the preservation and transmission of our national music to future generations. These steps have played an important role in including Azerbaijan’s musical heritage in the world cultural treasury.

Mehriban Aliyeva also played a significant role in organizing international sports events in Azerbaijan. Under her leadership, our country successfully hosted high-profile events such as the Eurovision Song Contest, the first European Games, the IV Islamic Solidarity Games, and Formula One races. All of these events contributed to the growth of Azerbaijan’s international reputation.

During the Second Karabakh War, Mehriban Aliyeva gained special authority through her appeals to the people, to national solidarity, moral support to our army, and care for the families of martyrs. At the initiative and with the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, the families of military personnel who died in the Patriotic War, veterans, wounded, sick soldiers, and officers were constantly in the spotlight. Concrete steps have been taken to address their social and medical problems. Some of our wounded military personnel were sent to Turkey for treatment and rehabilitation, while others were provided with high-tech prosthetics. The Foundation regularly organizes events in this direction and has always considered moral support and care for this category of people to be a priority task.

The political and moral support of Mehriban Aliyeva in the struggle for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, her calls for national solidarity, and inspirational speeches to our army have been met with special sympathy by society. Her visits to Karabakh together with the head of state as the First Vice-President after the war and events such as the Khari Bulbul Music Festival organized in Shusha, have great significance for the cultural and spiritual revival of Azerbaijan.

Mehriban Aliyeva’s multifaceted activities have been recognized at an international level with prestigious Orders and Medals.   Among them are the highest state award of Azerbaijan, the Heydar Aliyev Order, “Golden Heart” International Award, “Olympic Excellence” Special Honorary Prize of the International Olympic Academy, Order of the Legion of Honor (French Republic), Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Merit (Italian Republic), Grand Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit (Republic of Poland), Order of Friendship (Russian Federation), the UNESCO Golden Mozart Medal, Hilal-e Pakistan Order (Islamic Republic of Pakistan), the Sreten Order (Republic of Serbia), Commander’s Cross of the Order of Merit of Hungary.

However, Mehriban Aliyeva always emphasizes that the greatest reward is the love and trust of the people. Mehriban Aliyeva continues to be a symbolic female figure of modern Azerbaijan due to her multifaceted activity, sincere attitude, high initiative, and deep humanistic values. Her life and creative path are a vivid example of selfless service to the country, people, and state.

Recommended literature:

1. Əliyeva, Aynur Ramiz qızı. Heydər Əliyev Fondunun Azərbaycan Respublikasında təhsil, səhiyyə, idmanın inkişafı və milli-mənəvi dəyərlərin qorunması sahəsində fəaliyyəti : monoqrafiya / A. R. Əliyeva ; elmi red. O. Sultanov ; AMEA A.A. Bakıxanov adına Tarix İnstitutu. - Bakı : Avropa nəşriyyatı, 2021. - 250 s.
2. Əliyeva, Nurlana Müzəffər qızı. Qüdrətli Azərbaycan naminə / N. M. Əliyeva ; red., ön sözün müəl. N. Q. Cəfərov. - Bakı : Mütərcim, 2019. - 440 s.
3. Abdullayev, Vaqif İdris oğlu. Azərbaycanın Mehriban siması / V. İ. Abdullayev ; elmi red. N. Q. Cəfərov. - Bakı : Təhsil NPM, 2019. - 416 s.
4. Mehriban Əliyeva - Azərbaycan Mədəniyyətinin Hamisi = Mehriban Aliyeva - Mécène de la culture Azerbaidjanaise / tərt., ön sözün müəl. Ə. Ələkbərova ; tərc.: H. Babayev, Z. Mustafayev ; elmi red. P. Kərimov ; fransız dil. red. J. T. Lemarchal. - Bakı : Şərq-Qərb, 2018. - 208 s.