Aliyev attends graduation ceremony at Police Academy

President Ilham Aliyev attended a graduation ceremony at the Police Academy on Monday on the occasion of July 2 - Police Day.

Prior to the event, the Azerbaijani President opened a monument to national leader Heydar Aliyev and his museum.

Addressing the graduation ceremony, President Aliyev said that the Azerbaijani police play a significant role in the maintenance of stability in the country. Azerbaijan is considered the most stable country for its criminal situation not only in the region but also among the CIS countries due to the progress made in the police activity and reforms conducted in this area, he noted.

The head of state underlined that much should be done despite great achievements gained in this area. He called on police officers to be more careful and decisive in their activities.

President Aliyev also recalled certain forces’ attempts to come to power illegally in 2005 and the worthy activity of the Azerbaijani police at that time. “During the hardest times of the country, the Azerbaijani police displayed great courage and strived for maintenance of stability. After the 2005 developments, some foreign countries began to exert pressures on us. They even demanded that the police officers treating in a rude manner be punished,” he stressed.

The President said that all officials must serve people. “People trust us so that we would bring benefit to them with our model conduct and right policy and settle their problems. Police officers are officials who are in direct contact with people. Therefore, the police must worthily carry out their activities and justify people’s trust,” Aliyev said.

The graduation ceremony was followed by a march of the cadets of the Police Academy by President Aliyev’s rostrum.

The establishment of the Azerbaijani police dates back 1918 when the first regular police detachments were set up within the Interior Ministry of the Democratic Republic of Azerbaijan on July 2. That date has been marked as the Day of Police in Azerbaijan since 1998 on a presidential decree.*