Today marks the professional holiday of the employees of the diplomatic service bodies of the Republic of Azerbaijan.
According to sea-news.az that, considering the significant role of national diplomacy in the establishment of the first democratic republic in the Muslim East and the process of building the modern independent state of Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev signed a special decree on August 24, 2007. According to the decree, July 9, the day when the temporary instruction on the Secretariat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan Democratic Republic (ADR) was adopted in 1919, was established as a professional holiday in our country.
Since this temporary instruction is the first official document found in the archives of the ADR Ministry of Foreign Affairs, July 9 was chosen as the foundation of Diplomatic Service Day, among other potential dates (such as the date of the first treaty signed with Ottoman Turkey or the date when our independence was de facto recognized at the Paris Peace Conference).
From the historical past to the era of independence When Azerbaijani diplomacy was taking its first steps in 1919, 16 foreign diplomatic missions were operating in Baku, including those of the USA, Great Britain, France, Italy, and Iran. After the de facto recognition of the ADR’s independence at the Paris Peace Conference on January 11, 1920, bills were drafted to appoint ambassadors to Western Europe and America; however, the Soviet occupation cut this process short. With the establishment of the USSR on December 30, 1922, Azerbaijan’s independent foreign policy was completely terminated, and all missions were abolished. Although the People’s Commissariat for Foreign Affairs of the Azerbaijan SSR was formally established in 1944, this body lacked real authority for many years.
It was only after Azerbaijan restored its independence on October 18, 1991, that it began to be rapidly recognized by the international community. In 1993, with the return of National Leader Heydar Aliyev to power at the insistence of the people, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs system was completely restructured alongside other national statehood institutions. The Great Leader outlined the contours of the strategic main line of Azerbaijan’s foreign policy.
Victory-bringing modern foreign policy and expanding network The Great Leader’s balanced foreign policy line is being successfully continued today by President and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev. Against the backdrop of rapidly changing global and regional challenges, Azerbaijan always defends its national interests at the highest level. Thanks to this purposeful diplomatic and military strategy, Armenia’s nearly 30-year-long occupation was ended, and our lands were liberated. In the post-war period, Azerbaijan’s growing influence has created new realities in the region, and many partner countries have declared their intention to actively participate in the reconstruction of Karabakh and East Zangezur.
Today, guided by the principles of equal rights and mutually beneficial cooperation, Azerbaijan has become a country with unique weight and influence on the global stage, as well as a unique space for cooperation. The network of foreign missions protecting our country’s interests in the international arena is also expanding year by year. Currently, the Republic of Azerbaijan operates:
- 70 embassies;
- 64 permanent missions;
- 6 permanent representations to international organizations;
- 9 consulates general;
- 1 representative office and 7 embassy offices (an official decision has been made to open a new embassy in Portugal this year).
