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bodies must be a woman. We have established the State Committee on Women`s 
Problems. Now we see how important this committee is for our country. But in 
order to make its activity more effective, we have to create its branches in all our 
regions and make our women work in all the fi elds. Women want it. Many women 
work better than men. We must create better conditions for our women. 
My attitute towards the Azerbaijani women is known. I love you all. As the head 
of the state or just a simple man, I am ready to pay attention to you. 
I wish our women the best. Every women wants to be happy. I wish all our women 
good health and successes. 
Happy holiday, dear women! Thank you. 
In the Name of the Azerba  ani Woman

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FROM THE TALK OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF 
AZERBAIJAN HEYDAR ALIYEV WITH THE PARTICIPANTS
 OF THE FIRST PARTNERSHIP FORUM OF WOMEN OF
 GUUAM COUNTRIES HELD IN BAKU
September 20, 2001
Heydar Aliyev: It is very nice to meet you. I see that all of you are very beautiful. 
I welcome you. This is the fi rst assembly of the representatives of the woman 
organizations of GUUAM countries since the establishment of GUUAM. It is a 
good initiative. I hope that the work done here will be useful for us. We, presidents 
of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova and Azerbaijan, decided to establish this organization 
in Strasburg in 1997. Uzbekistan joined this organization in 1999. The organization 
has already won international reputation. Our last meeting took place in the Crimea, 
Ukraine, on the initiative of President Leonid Kuchma. Your activity completes our 
job, so I wish your initiative become a tradition. 
It is pleasant for me to see guests from friendly countries. You have an opportunity 
to get acquainted with the life in our country. It is useful for our countries. Our 
countries, which were part of the Soviet Union, have been independent for 10 years. 
Ukraine has already celebrated its 10
th
 anniversary of independence. We are going 
to celebrate our anniversary in October. Independence is a historical event and great 
achievement of our nations. At the same time, our countries have similar problems. 
Our countries were part of the same Union, system and ideology. Now the transition 
period in our countries is under way. It is a very hard process. Transformations take 
place in economy, in social life, in the mentality of people. We used to live under the 
Soviet rule, so we were raised according to the ideology of that time. Therefore, this 
process is not so easy and goes on similar and different ways in our countries. It is 
similar because our course is the same. It is different because every country solves 
its problems in its own way. Some people still maintain their conservative views, 
while others think that it is easy to reach all the goals within a short time. In the 
transition period our countries have similar and different ways of development. So 
it is important to have relations among our countries, to learn from each other. 
I am aware that the representatives of Moldova and Uzbekistan could not come. I 
In the Name of the Azerba  ani Woman

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welcome the Ukrainian delegation headed by Maria Andreevna Orlik, whom I have 
known her for a long time. I also greet the delegations of Georgia and Azerbaijan. 
GUUAM consists of fi ve countries, however, three countries are represented by 
the delegations. I am very happy that you have assembled here and are working 
effectively. I appreciate your job. I wish you the best. I see that Maria Andreevna 
wants to say something. 
Maria Orlik (Chairman of the Women`s Union of Urkaine, head of the Ukrainian 
delegation): Dear Heydar Aliyevich. I am also a person of your generation.
Heydar Aliyev: To the next generation. 
Maria Orlik: In our case the age has not so much importance. I mean that I belong 
to the generation raised in the Soviet time. I shall never erase that period from my 
life. Because we have worked effectively then and created all what we have now as 
a basis for our independent countries.
Women always support the presidents in their countries. Therefore, the women 
of these fi ve countries could not remain idle. The women working in parliaments, 
state bodies, NGOs are ready to help us to implement our targets. On behalf of 
our delegation I thank you very much for your initiatives for the establishment of 
GUUAM and the organization of this forum. We have achieved our aim, signed the 
document on the establishment of the women`s forum of GUUAM countries. We 
are going to elaborate our charter, plan our works, decide how effectively we can do 
our work. This is not my fi rst visit to Azerbaijan. As you remember, we organized 
the days of the Ukrainian literature and art in Azerbaijan in 1979. 
Heydar Aliyev: Then you headed the Ukrainian delegation as deputy chairman of 
the Council of Ministers of Ukraine. 
Maria Orlik: I worked in that position for 12 years. Now I chair the Women`s 
Union of Ukraine. The friendship and mutual understanding between our nations 
are the basis of our meeting today. In my personal archive I have found a lot of 
interesting materials, which may remind you our youth. 
Here is a material in the newspaper Kommunist about your receiving our delegation. 
This is the photo of our delegation. The next photo refl ects the inauguration of the 
days of literature. On the next photo we are talking. Here in another picture we are 
in the Oil Rocks. Here you can see your late wife, who accompanied us in the Oil 
In the Name of the Azerba  ani Woman

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