Draft:Ilham Aliyev
| Ilham Aliyev | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Name | Ilham Aliyev |
| Personal Details | |
| Birth Place | Azerbaijan Republic |
Ilham Aliyev is the current President of the Azerbaijan Republic, Chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party, and a founding member of the World Union for Approximation among Political Activists. Born on December 24, 1961, in Baku, he is the son of Heydar Aliyev, the former President of the Azerbaijan Republic, and assumed power following his father's death on October 31, 2003.
Personal life
His wife is Mehriban Aliyeva, and they have three children named Leyla, Arzu, and Heydar. In addition to Azerbaijani Turkish, he speaks Turkish, French, Russian, and English.
Aliyev holds a PhD in History and also studied International Relations at Moscow State University. Between 1985 and 1990, he taught at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations[1].
Presidency
Ilham Aliyev has been elected President of Azerbaijan for four consecutive terms representing the New Azerbaijan Party. He won the 2003 presidential election with 76.8% of the vote, the 2008 election with 87.34%, the 2013 election with 84.72%, and most recently, the 2018 election with 82% of the vote.
In January 2017, Ilham Aliyev issued a decree appointing his wife as his First Vice President[2].
Domestic policy
Cultural policy
Intercultural dialogue has been and remains one of the priority areas of Ilham Aliyev's cultural policy. In 2008, he introduced the "Baku Process" initiative to promote intercultural dialogue at the Conference of Ministers of Culture, held under the theme "Intercultural Dialogue as a Basis for Peace and Sustainable Development in Europe and its Neighboring Regions"[3]. On February 28, 2018, Ilham Aliyev signed a decree approving the "State Program on the Protection and Development of Carpet Art in the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2018–2022," which was designed to safeguard the carpet-weaving profession, enhance carpet export capacity, and create employment in regions active in this field[4].
Scientific policy
On May 5, 2004, Ilham Aliyev issued a decree establishing the "Scientific Center of the National Encyclopedia of Azerbaijan." Approximately four years later, on April 10, 2008, he signed another decree to establish a State Commission for implementing reforms in the field of science. According to another decree signed by Ilham Aliyev on October 21, 2009, the "Science Development Fund" was established under the Presidency of Azerbaijan. The Fund's regulations were approved by him four months later, on February 18, 2009. On January 14, 2016, Ilham Aliyev issued a decree establishing the National Commission of the Republic of Azerbaijan for the Islamic World Organization for Education, Science and Culture (ICESCO). The establishment of a branch of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan in the city of Ganja on December 19, 2012, is also among his measures to advance the level of science and knowledge in the country. The issuance of a decree by Ilham Aliyev on November 8, 2016, to create the Advanced Technologies Park of the National Academy of Sciences of Azerbaijan represents another effective step taken in the realm of the country's scientific policy[5]. On April 9, 2018, Ilham Aliyev signed another decree ordering the establishment of "National Science Day" in the Republic of Azerbaijan[6].