“Azerbaijan is among the world’s top 20 countries where the population shows the highest level of trust in politicians who govern the state.” Commenting on the “Public Trust in Politicians” indicator of the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report 2017–2018, the Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication, Vusal Gasimli, stated that Azerbaijan’s rise to 20th place globally in this category is based directly on surveys conducted among the population and business representatives.

This demonstrates that, according to objective survey results, a high level of trust between the government and the people has been established in Azerbaijan. Such trust, in turn, ensures socio-political and economic stability. As emphasized by Ilham Aliyev, the source of stability in the country is the Azerbaijani people, their will, and the policies pursued by the government. Despite the sharp decline in global oil prices starting in 2015, no social projects were suspended in Azerbaijan. On the contrary, the creation of a record 221,000 new jobs in 2017 further increased public confidence in the government.

According to Vusal Gasimli, in the “Public Trust in Politicians” category Azerbaijan has outperformed three out of every four G20 countries. “In this indicator, Azerbaijan is ahead of all BRICS countries, post-Soviet republics, and Turkic states. In addition, Azerbaijan ranks 15th globally in another category of the Global Competitiveness Report, namely ‘Burden of Government Regulation.’ This means that Azerbaijan is among the countries where trust in the state is high and where the regulatory burden on citizens and businesses is among the lowest.”

The ranking of 20th out of 137 countries in the “Public Trust in Politicians” category is not only an indicator of the high level of confidence shown by the population and business community in the policies of President Ilham Aliyev, but also a fair assessment by the international community.

Vusal Gasimli further noted that the economic reforms implemented under the President’s leadership have been deep, comprehensive, and results-oriented. Despite negative external shocks, public–government unity in Azerbaijan has continued to strengthen. “While crises in many countries often lead to socio-political upheavals, in Azerbaijan stability has not only been preserved but further reinforced. As a result of this stability, not only the Azerbaijani people but also foreign investors trust the government’s policies.”

It is projected that USD 30 billion will be invested in the Azerbaijani economy during 2017–2018, amounting to more than 80 percent of GDP. Another important indicator of stability is the growth in tourism: in 2017, the number of tourists increased by 500,000, reaching a record 2.7 million visitors.

All these factors reflect strong public trust in state policy. The President’s close engagement with citizens, consistent representation of public interests, on-site monitoring of policy implementation, continuous improvement in the quality and accessibility of public services, regular regional meetings by central government officials, a favorable business environment, foreign policy achievements, military development, and effective communication policy all contribute to strengthening public trust in state institutions.