A Tree-Planting Campaign Dedicated to the Birthday of Heydar Aliyev

A tree-planting campaign dedicated to the birthday of the great leader Heydar Aliyev was held on May 10. The President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and family members participated in the tree-planting campaign dedicated to the birthday of the great leader Heydar Aliyev in the green area along the Gala-Turkan highway.

The head of state and the first lady initially familiarized themselves with the exhibits reflecting the work carried out to further improve the environmental situation in Azerbaijan.

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Huseyn Bagirov, presented information to President Ilham Aliyev about the green areas created between 2008 and 2017. It was noted that, in accordance with the instructions and recommendations of the head of state, about 5 million 200 thousand trees have been planted in the country over these years. The areas where these trees were planted have been equipped with a drip irrigation system. Special attention has been paid to the planting of olive, almond, pomegranate, jujube, pistachio, walnut, and hazelnut trees. Only this year, more than one million agro-important trees have been planted in the country for the purpose of creating agro-parks.

President Ilham Aliyev, First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, and family members planted trees in the area.

On May 10, about 9,000 agro-important and other types of trees were planted in the green area along the Gala-Turkan highway.

The head of state and the first lady took commemorative photos with the participants of the tree-planting campaign.

All this once again confirms that the tradition laid down by the national leader Heydar Aliyev regarding the protection of ecology in our country is successfully continued by President Ilham Aliyev. It is no coincidence that one of the priority directions of the national development strategy implemented in our country is to ensure the protection of the environment and the highest level of living conditions for people in a healthy natural environment. A vivid example of this is President Ilham Aliyev's declaration of 2010 as the "Year of Ecology" in the country. The head of state pays special attention to improving the ecological situation on lands polluted with oil and other industrial waste, as well as areas covered by formation waters. Practical work has been carried out to improve the provision of ecologically clean water to the population, millions of trees have been planted in the country, and new parks and alleys have been established. As a result of the work carried out in areas once contaminated with oil waste, such as the current "White City" and other areas, oil deposits have been cleaned up. These areas have turned into modern residential and cultural complexes, which, as President Ilham Aliyev stated, have become modern ecological projects. All this serves to protect the environment and, especially, to ensure that citizens live in a healthy environment. The foundation of measures taken to improve the ecological situation and the resolute stance demonstrated by the head of state against illegal tree cutting is solely based on one goal: the protection of human health.

The Heydar Aliyev Foundation, led by First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva, also pays special attention to increasing greenery and protecting existing green areas in our country. Projects implemented with the initiative and support of the vice-president of the Foundation, the founder, and head of the IDEA Public Union, Leyla Aliyeva, also play an important role in this area.

It should be noted that the ecological projects carried out at various times have covered all regions of Azerbaijan. Today, the active participation of citizens in tree planting campaigns, the creation of green areas, and cleanliness activities in our cities and districts is a clear indication of this. According to experts, the work carried out in Azerbaijan in the field of environmental protection and ensuring public health can serve as an example for many countries.