Since coming to power on June 15, 1993, Heydar Aliyev  set a goal to cooperate with the developed countries of the world and authoritative international organizations as one of the main issues of the policy.

Heydar Aliyev gave  information about the tasks facing the formation of the future foreign policy of our country  and  said: “Our foreign policy was peace-loving. It served the wider recognition of Azerbaijan. First of all, foreign policy should be aimed at ensuring the state independence of Azerbaijan. Our main task was to establish and develop equally, mutually beneficial relations with all countries of the world, to use these relations effectively both to strengthen the international position of the Republic of Azerbaijan and to develop  economy, science and culture of the Republic. "

Azerbaijan's participation in the system of international relations was considered one of the main tasks. Because the basis of these relations was interstate political and diplomatic relations. At the same time  interaction with international organizations was of great importance in terms of more effective implementation of multifaceted political, economic, scientific, cultural and humanitarian cooperation with other countries, the formation of an objective international public opinion on the processes taking place in the country. That is why the integration of Azerbaijan into the system of international relations was one of the priorities in the foreign policy of Azerbaijan, which was attempting to join the world community as a full member, whose territorial integrity has been violated as a result of Armenia's military aggression since the first years of independence.

National leader Heydar Aliyev set the main task of promoting Azerbaijan on a global scale, cooperating closely with international organizations and  developing membership in prestigious organizations for the wide-ranging promotion of our country's national and spiritual values, culture and art. Thanks to the activities of the great leader these relations were expanding and strengthening. Cooperation with organizations such as the United Nations, the OSCE, NATO and the Organization of the Islamic Conference, which united 55 Muslim countries  entered a qualitatively new stage. In general, after gaining independence, the Azerbaijani state gave great priority to using the role of international organizations for the peaceful settlement of the conflict, the implementation of reforms in the direction of a market economy and close involvement in the world integration process. In this regard the realtionships appeared along with the UN, the OSCE, the Organization of the Islamic Conference, the Union of Turkic States, the Commonwealth of Independent States, the International Monetary Fund, the Black Sea Economic Cooperation Organization, the Inter-Parliamentary Union, NATO and other influential organizations.

The "Contract of the Century" was signed on September 20, 1994, at a time of political, economic and information blockade of the independent Azerbaijan. This was the result of Heydar Aliyev's far-sighted policy and leadership. At that time, there was not much idea about Azerbaijan in the world. Only a negative opinion was formed about our republic. In such a tense situation, the success of the great leader Heydar Aliyev in signing the "Contract of the Century" with 11 oil companies representing the developed countries of the world was a great political event. It also played an exceptional role in the integration of our independent state into the international community. As Heydar Aliyev stressed  with the signing of the "Contract of the Century"  Azerbaijan opened the Caspian Sea and its energy resources to the whole world and historians would still write how important this event was for the future of the country.