President Aliyev: Azerbaijani journalism plays positive role in society

Agroup of 255 journalists were awarded with chance to have their own houses after four years of providing 156 media workers with new apartments in Baku in order to improve their living conditions and to solve their social problems.

The ceremony of presenting apartments to journalists on the occasion of the National Press Day in a newly built building was held in the capital on July 20 with participation of President Ilham Aliyev.

Speaking at the event, the head of state said that Azerbaijani journalism is developing and playing a big positive role in the society.

"I sincerely congratulate the Azerbaijani journalists on the occasion of the National Press Day which is marked on July 22 and wish them new achievements,” the president said. “On the eve of this great professional holiday, we have gathered for the opening of a new residential building built for journalists.”

“This is the second building,” the president said. "Journalists have been living in the first building for several years. We are going to celebrate the opening of the second building now. There are 156 apartments in the first building, and 255 in the second building.”

Ilham Aliyev reminded that this initiative was put forward several years ago.

"This issue was raised by journalists and I reacted positively to it,” he said. “So, we mark the opening ceremony of the second building here. I remember that during the opening ceremony of the first building four years ago I said that probably in the future this territory will be called "the city of journalists" and it happened.”

“This beautiful place is already a city of journalists,” he said, adding that in the future the country will take additional measures to solve the everyday problems of journalists.

At the same time, President Aliyev said that it is planned to lay the foundation of the third building, which will also have 255 apartments.

The President stressed that in a short time apartments are presented to hundreds of journalists, which once again testifies for the state attention paid to the Azerbaijani journalism.

"All kinds of freedoms are ensured in Azerbaijan, including freedom of speech, and you, journalists, know it well,” the president said. “There are thousands of media outlets in Azerbaijan which operate free and pass registration.”

“Today, Azerbaijani journalism reveals problems that the society worries about, conducts very valuable analysis, and in general, plays a big positive role in the development of the country,” he said. “I have always tried and am trying to support journalists. My numerous meetings, sincere conversations with journalists testify to it. In particular, the construction of buildings for journalists testifies to this policy.”

The president went on to say that every city has valuable, prestigious places, such as city centers, and usually in cities along the seashore, such places are buildings overlooking the sea.

In turn, Riyad Mansour, permanent observer of the State of Palestine to the UN, heads the Palestinian delegation at the conference, said that Palestine is grateful to Azerbaijan for the support of ‘brothers and sisters in Jerusalem’.

Mansour expressed gratitude to the Azerbaijani government for organizing an international conference on supporting Jerusalem in Baku and its position in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, noting that Azerbaijan can play a positive role in the issue of resolving the conflict.

Addressing the event, Assistant Secretary-General for Political Affair Miroslav Jenca said that the UN is ready to provide all possible support for the establishment of a Palestinian state.

He said that today the conflict, which turns 50 years since the outbreak, reached a dead end.

The settlements of the Israelis in the Gaza Strip are expanding, thus leading to the formation of an ever-widening gap between the Palestinians and the Israelis.

“It is time for concrete negotiations to find a solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, he said, adding that success depends on the political will of the parties.

Jenca added that achieving peace will be impossible without the liberation of the Palestinian territories.