Solemn oath ceremony of persons admitted to and restored the citizenship of the Republic of Azerbaijan at the State Migration Service

Persons admitted to and restored the citizenship of the Republic of Azerbaijan solemnlytook an oath on loyalty to the Republic of Azerbaijanin the state language before the National flag by placing their hands on the Constitutionat the ceremony held at State Migration Service.

Chief of State Migration Service,II rank state migration service counselor Firudin Nabiyev congratulated the persons who acquired and restored citizenship of the Republic of Azerbaijan with the Orders of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Commander-in-chief of Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev. He stated that social and economic development observed in the Republic of Azerbaijan in recent years, political stability in our country, establishment of existing secure environment, works done in the area of protection of rights and freedoms of migrants, as well as geopolitical position of our country, great opportunities for transit has resulted in intensification of migration to Azerbaijan from various locations of the world. It, in its turn, has positive impact on increasing number of foreigners immigrating to our country year by year, as well as return tendency of Azerbaijan citizens who left the republic previously and went to other states. Service chief noted that as Great Leader Heydar Aliyev said: “Migration is a natural process, it cannot be prevented, there is no need to prevent it and generally it has positive character. Migration process refers to all countries in the world”.

F.Nabiyev also added that as it is stipulated in our supreme law, citizenship means affiliation of the person to the state, permanent political and legal relation expressed in their mutual rights and obligations between the person and the state. While political relation is explained by participation of citizen in the political life of society and state and his/her possession of political rights, legal relation between the citizen and the state is permanent. Service chief wished strong political and legal relation between the state of Azerbaijan and thepersons admitted to and restored citizenship.

Taking into account the importance of citizenship rights which is one of the basic human rights, conversation was conducted about measures taken by State Migration Service on harmonization of national legislation to international documents arising from international documents on elimination of statelessness, to which our country is a party and duties arising from the law on citizenship of the Republic of Azerbaijan. F. Nabiyev highlighted that according to the legislation, in case the citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan has dual citizenship, affiliation of that citizen to the citizenship of a foreign state is not recognized, except the cases envisaged by international treaties of the Republic of Azerbaijan or the cases dealt with in accordance with paragraph 32, Article 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan.The citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan who acquired the citizenship of a foreign state should notify Ministry of Foreign Affairs or State Migration Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan about it in written form within a month.The person who doesn't give such information will bear responsibility in a way envisaged by Article 318-2 of the Criminal Code of the Republic ofAzerbaijan.Service chief noted that therefore each citizen should approach responsibly to the relation with the state.

Later on 267 persons who were admitted to the citizenship and 7 persons who restored the citizenship solemnlytook an oath before the National flag by placing their hands on the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the state language of the Republic of Azerbaijan that they will be loyal to the Republic of Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that the oath ceremony was held for the first time according to Article 15-1, which was added in the new context to the “Law on Citizenship of the Republic of Azerbaijan”. It should be mentioned that the citizen of the Republic of Azerbaijan taking an oath, signs the text of the oath and this document is kept at State Migration Service.

The ceremony ended with the playing of the National Anthem.