The country restored its state independence in the late 20th century after the collapse of the USSR. On 18 October 1991, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan adopted the Constitutional Act “On the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan”.
The Constitutional Act referred to the Declaration on the Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated 28 May 1918 and the Declaration “On the Restoration of State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan” adopted by the Supreme Council of the Republic of Azerbaijan on 30 August 1991, proclaiming the independent state of Azerbaijan as a legal successor of Azerbaijan Democratic Republic. Thus, according to the Constitutional Act “On the State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan” consisted of 6 chapters and 32 articles, the people of Azerbaijan restored their independence on 18 October 1991.
On 29 December 1991, the people of Azerbaijan voted for the country’s independence and sovereignty in a nationwide referendum.
The chaos and government crisis within the country, as well as Armenia’s military aggression against Azerbaijan, seriously damaged the independent state-building process at that time. Only in 1993, when National Leader Heydar Aliyev returned to power with continuous demand of the people, the country did manage to take consistent steps to fulfill the ideas of national independence and restore the traditions of statehood and sovereignty.
After that Azerbaijan embarked on the path of development, ensured stability and the country began to confidently move forward. Heydar Aliyev, the Great Leader of Azerbaijan have made great achievements leading Azerbaijan to embark on a path of real independence. Thanks to his dynamic and forward-thinking leadership Azerbaijan overcame great difficulties and laid strong foundations for its development.
The development and implementation of a balanced and serving the protection of national interests of the foreign policy of the Republic of Azerbaijan are associated, in general, with the name of the national leader Heydar Aliyev who devoted his life to the prosperity of Azerbaijan. It was thanks to his exceptional sense of statehood, profound wisdom, and ability to deeply understand the essence of issues that it became possible to determine the correct approach to the establishment of international relations. Since 2003, Azerbaijan has been continuing to implement the policy of Heydar Aliyev, and enriching it under the leadership of H.E. Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. 
Under the leadership of Commander-in-Chief President Ilham Aliyev, the victorious Azerbaijani Army liberated the occupied territories from the almost 30-year occupation by Armenia, implemented UN Security Council 4 resolutions of 1993 itself alone, and restored historical justice. Currently, restoration and reconstruction work based on smart and green technologies are underway in these areas.
It also should be stated that, over the past years, the Republic of Azerbaijan has successfully chaired several important organizations such as the UN Security Council, the Non-Aligned Movement, the Organization of Turkic States, and many others.
Furthermore, Azerbaijan has been unanimously supported as the next host of the UN Climate Change Conference. Thus, in November of 2024 tens of thousands of delegates from all over the world, including brotherly Pakistan are expected in Baku for the COP29 Summit to discuss the future of our planet from a climate change perspective. This is another sign of Azerbaijan`s strong diplomacy at a global scale and well recognized reputation of Azerbaijan as a reliable partner for multilateral negotiations.
