HÀ NỘI — The Vietnamese-language version of the biography of National Azerbaijani leader Heydar Aliyev was presented to the Vietnamese public on Wednesday on the occasion of his 94th birthday anniversary.

The 500-page book will allow Vietnamese people to learn more about the late Heydar Aliyev and his role in the history of Azerbaijan. He was the third President of Azerbaijan, serving from October 1993 to October 2003, two months before his death at the age of 80.

At the ceremony, Anar Imanov, Ambassador of Azerbaijan to Việt Nam, spoke of the role of the late leader.

“As a leader of Soviet Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, in a very short period, undertook fundamental steps toward changing agricultural and oil-producing Azerbaijan to one of the most industrialised Republics of the former Soviet Union,” he said.   

His  role in modern independent Azerbaijan was even more remarkable.

Heydar Aliyev played an integral role in the establishment and development of the relationship between Azerbaijani and Vietnamese people. The visit of President Hồ Chí Minh to Azerbaijan in 1959 and the visit of Heydar Aliyev to Việt Nam in 1983 laid the foundation of friendship between the two nations. Thanks to the support of Heydar Aliyev, thousands of Azerbaijani specialists were sent to Việt Nam to help rebuild the war-torn country’s infrastructure and oil industry. More than 5 thousand Vietnamese have studied in higher educational institutions of Azerbaijan.

“The name and career of President Heydar Aliyev is very close to Vietnamese people, especially to the Vietnamese alumni in Azerbaijan. For Việt Nam, he is a messenger of peace, friendship and cooperation with Azerbaijanis, a great and close friend of the Vietnamese people. After my visit in May 2015 to his hometown in Azerbaijan, I felt blessed and honored,” said Nghiêm Vũ Khải, Chairman of Vietnam-Azerbaijan Friendship Association  and  Deputy chairman  of the Việt Nam Union of Science and Technology Associations.

“I hope that, my colleagues in Việt Nam-Azerbaijan Friendship Group will actively promote the book to public, so that more Vietnamese can better understand the life and times of Heydar Aliyev, broaden our knowledge of a remarkable person and strengthen love for our second homeland Azerbaijan,” he said.

Following the presentation of the book, a concert was held to mark the 94th birthday anniversary of the late President. — VNS