Democratic development in Azerbaijan has been very rapid over the last 15 years, said Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev during his inauguration ceremony on April 18.

“All freedoms have been ensured in Azerbaijan, and I think these 15 years have been very successful in terms of democratic development,” said the president.

“By deepening political reforms we have ensured all freedoms – freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of assembly, freedom of political activity. Suffice it to say that 80 percent of the Azerbaijani population are internet users and internet is free in Azerbaijan. Our policy on democratic development is a very right policy and it ensures our national interests. We are not doing this in order to please someone, we are doing this in order to deepen political reforms in Azerbaijan, to ensure that the Azerbaijani people always hold their fate in their hands just like they do today, which was once again confirmed by the election and its results,” President Aliyev added.