BAKU, Azerbaijan, December 24. The history of Azerbaijan's statehood is characterized not only by political and economic achievements, but also by a rich system of values based on unshakable moral foundations, respect for and loyalty to the principles of freedom of belief and conscience, Chairman of the State Committee on Affairs with Religious Associations Ramin Mammadov said at the 2nd Forum of Azerbaijani Religious Leaders is being held in Baku, Trend reports.
"Our model of state-religion relations, which is regulated in the legal framework, is not only a system but also a vivid manifestation of our people’s high culture, tolerance, and humanitarian worldview, which has been shaped over thousands of years and refined through the most difficult trials of history," he noted.
Mammadov underlined that preserving this legacy and passing it on to future generations is one of the most fundamental priorities of state policy and national identity.
"The civil, secular, and national values underlying the concept of state-religion relations in modern Azerbaijan are associated with the name of the National Leader, Heydar Aliyev.
The National Leader, with great political foresight during the most complex periods of state governance, had determined that the most important factor ensuring the unity of a nation that regained its independence was the return to national and spiritual values and historical roots.
This approach is not of a conjunctural nature, but based on legal principles, consistent, and principled.
Religious freedom is presented not just as a formal right but as a real value guaranteed by the Constitution. This means that religion does not become a tool of state governance, nor does the state adopt an indifferent position toward religion. All confessions enjoy equal rights and opportunities. This principle is a clear example of our state's supreme respect for freedom of conscience and legal reverence," he added.