APresident · 2003 –Independent states
Ilham Aliyev
Azerbaijan's fourth president (b. 1961), in office since 2003; his tenure includes the 2020 Karabakh war and the restoration of territorial integrity in 2023.
Ilham Aliyev is the son of Heydar Aliyev. A graduate of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations, he was long vice-president of the State Oil Company; he was elected president in October 2003 and re-elected in 2008, 2013, 2018 and 2024.
In the 44-day war of autumn 2020 the territories around Karabakh were retaken, and in September 2023 Azerbaijan restored its sovereignty over all of Karabakh. The Southern Gas Corridor came into operation during his presidency.
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Updated: October 4, 2026