National Leader Heydar Aliyev's memory honored in Serbia

Heydar Aliyev's memory was honored in Serbia on the 103rd anniversary of his birth.

Report"s Balkan bureau informs that Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Kamil Khasiyev and embassy staff visited the monument to the National Leader in Tasmajdan Park.

A wreath and flowers were laid at the monument to National Leader Heydar Aliyev, and his memory was honored with deep respect.

During the visit, Azerbaijani Ambassador to Serbia Kamil Khasiyev spoke about the work done by the Great Leader for Azerbaijan while he was first secretary of the Central Committee of the Azerbaijan Communist Party.

"I want the younger generation to be aware of the work the National Leader did for our people. The Great Leader initiated the production of films such as Nasimi and Babek. These served to strengthen the ideology of Azerbaijanism. At that time, we needed a personality such as Heydar Aliyev to protect our people's national interests," he said.

The diplomat emphasized that Heydar Aliyev was also the founder of the Azerbaijani army.

"In the Soviet period, in the 1970s, Heydar Aliyev held a separate meeting with Azerbaijani soldiers. Taking such steps at that time was dangerous, but Heydar Aliyev was devoted to his homeland and took such steps with great courage. At that time, Azerbaijanis were not widely admitted to military schools, and there was a biased attitude toward us. Heydar Aliyev negotiated and secured quotas for Azerbaijanis in all military schools. In 1971, the Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military Lyceum was established in Baku on Heydar Aliyev's initiative. After these steps, Azerbaijanis began to join the Soviet army. In the first years of the war, our officers who returned from the Soviet army fought," he said.

Later, the statue of prominent Serbian writer Milorad Pavic in the same park and the "We Were Just Children" monument, erected in memory of children killed during the bombing of Belgrade in 1999, were visited, and flowers were laid at both monuments.