President Ilham Aliyev was interviewed by Azerbaijan Television during his visit to Sumgayit.

President Ilham Aliyev said in his interview to Azerbaijan Television after attending groundbreaking ceremonies for the Azersulfat LLC sulfuric acid production plant, Glassica CJSC glass container production plant and an opening ceremony of the Azerfloat CJSC thermoforming sheet glass plant at the Sumgayit Chemical Industry Park: “Sumgayit is not only the second-largest industrial city in Azerbaijan and the South Caucasus now but also a modern industrial center. Simultaneously, all enterprises established in Sumgayit meet the highest environmental standards in recent years. It is of particular importance for Sumgayit because this city used to be an ecological disaster site back in the days. When turning Sumgayit into a modern industrial center, we have taken into account people's health as a matter of priority. As you know, many enterprises built here during the Soviet era had reached the end of their service life, fallen into disrepair, and negatively impacted the environment. Those enterprises were knocked down, and the Sumgayit Chemical Industry Park covering an area of 500 hectares, was established 10 years ago on this territory on my instructions. In recent years, this industrial park has grown and expanded so much that the order was issued to make additional land available, so work in this direction is underway. I laid the foundation of this enterprise in 2017, and I am glad that this large project worth 100 million euros has already been implemented and will liberate us of the sheet glass imports. It means that foreign currency will stay in our country, local production is reinvigorated, jobs are created, and our economy is diversified”. Our country has been able to maintain its resilience even at a time when world oil prices are low. Because non-oil sector has thrived. 2020 has been a year of economic recession throughout the world, so it was for our country. In some developed countries, this decline is measured in larger numbers. Industry, agriculture, the non-oil sector, export opportunities, and the reduction of imports – all these factors have created a new reality today. Also, reforms are underway in our country – personnel reforms, structural reforms, economic reforms, social reforms. There are only a handful of countries in the world that would have as many development factors as Azerbaijan today. Political stability, the unity of the people and the government, peace, geographical location, infrastructure, and trained professionals are essential – export markets, good business relations with neighboring countries, and problems with no country whatsoever. During his visit to Sumgayit President also noted that: “After some time, I hope that Armenia will also declare that they have no problem with us. Because the primary issue was that they had occupied our lands, they committed genocide against us. They destroyed our cities. We defended ourselves, did so befittingly and drove the occupiers out of our lands”. The development model to be built in liberated lands hereinafter will impact on the whole Azerbaijan, eliminate the existing shortcomings and ensure our country's successful development.