President

The Biography of Ilham Aliyev

(Ilham Heydar oglu Alijev)

Ilham Aliyev was born in December 24, 1961 in Baku. He studied at the Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO). He graduated and received a PhD  degree in 1985. He gave lectures at the Institute until 1990.

Following years, he led a group of private industrial-commercial enterprises. In 1994, he became the vice-president, and later the first vice-president of the State Oil Company of the Republic of Azerbaijan (GNKAR), in which he worked until the year 2003.  He had been actively involved in the implementation of Heydar Aliyev’s oil strategy.

He is an author of numerous research works on geopolitical aspects of oil strategy of sovereign Azerbaijan. He holds a degree of doctor of political sciences.

In 1995 and 2000, he was twice elected to the Milli Majlis (Parliament) of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In 2003, he stopped his activity as a Member of Parliament due to his appointment to the post of Prime minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

Since 1997, Mr. Ilham Aliyev is the President of the National Olympic Committee of Azerbaijan. For his great contribution to the development of sports and Olympic movement, Mr. Aliyev was awarded the highest order of International Olympic Committee.

He has been elected deputy chairman of the New Azerbaijan Party in 1999, first deputy chairman in 2001, and the chairman of the Party in 2005.

From 2001 to 2003, he was the head of the Azerbaijani Parliamentary delegation to Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe (PACE).

In January 2003, he was elected as Deputy-Chairman of Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe and member of the PACE bureau.

Since August 4, 2003 until October 2003 he was the Prime minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

In October 15, 2003, he was elected as the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. More than 76% of voters supported Ilham Aliyev’s candidacy during the elections. He assumed his post on 31 October, 2003.

In April of 2004, Mr. Aliyev was awarded a medal and diploma of honorable member of PACE for his active participation in PACE events and commitment to European values.

Ilham Aliyev was elected to the second term of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, after acquiring 88% of votes of electorate in the elections, held on October 15, 2008. He started to execute the Office of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on October 24, 2008.

Mr. Aliyev is fluent in Azerbaijani, English, Russian, French, and Turkish.

In December 22, 1983 he married Mehriban Aliyeva, née Pashayeva. They have got two daughters, one son and two grandsons.

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