Azernews,
12-18, September 2007

The ground-breaking ceremony of the one-of-the-kind center named after the nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev was held in Baku on Monday. The facility, to be built in a nine-hectare area near the Excelsior Hotel on the Heydar Aliyev Avenue, will house a museum, library, media center, and a conference hall for 1,210 people.

The center will be constructed by Turkey's DIA Holding under a two-year project drafted by Zaha Hadid, a leading contemporary woman architect known for intense and avant-garde designs.

President Ilham Aliyev, addressing the ceremony, said the center would play a great role in the country's social and political life. It will host functions of international scale, conferences, exhibitions and other events.

The facility will have no matches not only in the region but in the entire world, the head of state said.

"The structure is both a major contribution to the city infrastructure and a sign of appreciation of the Azerbaijani people to the memory of the nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev. The successes achieved by Azerbaijan allow us to construct spectacular buildings. I am confident that this center will be there for decades and turn into a new symbol of Baku next only to the Maiden's Tower" he said.

Aliyev recalled that the nation wide leader, former President Heydar Aliyev had always place, a special emphasis on the looks o the city and its renewal. Sine 1970-80s he made tremendous efforts to reach this goal. The buildings constructed in the city during his tenure stand out for their grandeur to this day.

President Aliyev recalled that he had issued a decree to upgrade outdated buildings in Baku.

"All the old structures in the capital should be renovated an made more attractive. Moreover they should have lighting meeting international standards. I at aware that Baku's residents part much attention to this, as ever one of them wants the city to long beautiful and for historic building to be upgraded while preserving their unique style," the President said.

Touching on the development under way in the country, Aliyev emphasized that the Azerbaijan economy is among the fastest growing in the world.

"The country's economic growth will make up 95% in the next three years, an unprecedented indicator worldwide," he said.

The president noted tin domestic investment exceeded foreign investment for the first time this year. "The figure will grow further given that the country opportunities are expanding."