Dear ladies and gentlemen!

Today, Azerbaijan celebrates a great holiday, the 60th jubilee of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. I cordially congratulate all of you on this occasion.

The Academy has passed a great and glorious path over these years. Our esteemed academicians in their speeches and the video film we have seen today provided a lot of information about it. Over the last 60 years, strong scientific traditions, strong scientific potential has been formed, and eminent and highly professional men of science have played their important roles in development of Azerbaijan. Today these wonderful traditions continue, and science in Azerbaijan is entering a new stage.

The today’s speeches and the video told of the role by national leader of our people Heydar Aliyev in development of science in Azerbaijan. This is truth. At all times, in 1970s, later, in 1990s Heydar Aliyev paid great attention to and showed concern about development of science in the country. He was very well aware that development of science plays an exceptional role in any country’s, any nations’ progress.

If we look back at the history, the past, experience of various countries, we can see that development of these countries, their potential is defined by development of science. We can see this If we look at the experience of the developed countries. Neither natural resources nor geographic position but it is intellectual potential, it is the level of science that defines, ensures progress in those countries turning them into developed ones.

Of course, the national leader Heydar Aliyev realized it very well, and when leading the republic in 1970s, was actively engaged in creating strong scientific infrastructure and professional scientific personnel in Azerbaijan. Later in early 1990s, after Azerbaijan re-gained its state independence, the situation in the country was in a sorry plight. The country was plunged into chaos and crisis. As a matter of fact, all fields of life were on the decline. It was after Heydar Aliyev came to power in 1993 that all the fields including science were given an impetus.

In is not by chance that one of the great leader’s first meetings was with Azerbaijani intellectuals at the building of the Academy of Sciences. That meeting was symbolic, because Azerbaijani scientists, intellectuals constitute elite of our country, our society. Their world view, stance, behavior, activities are what manly define the dynamics and prospects of Azerbaijan’s development.

Every country, naturally, has its own policy, its own political priorities. Undoubtedly, the personal will and program of the person who runs a country, governs it occupy a key place in the country’s development. At the same time, the public opinion is of great significance, as well, especially nowadays, when Azerbaijan has taken very serious steps towards democratic development. Azerbaijan has built all the democratic institutions peculiar to democratic countries. In this situation, the role of the public opinion in determination of the country’s policy and future is really great. And the public opinion itself is formed by the social elite – academicians, members of the Academy of Science and eminent people. From this standpoint that meeting really found the ways out of the critical situation the country was in 1990s. That meeting consolidated the society. That was not simply a meeting. I mean I want to stress it particularly that it was the meeting that fostered the rapid and all-round development of Azerbaijan. The Azerbaijani society consolidated and the leading strata of the society began to take active part in all fields of life.

The most gratifying is that this atmosphere, these traditions continue today. For the time being Azerbaijan is on the new stage of its development. Azerbaijan is facing new challenges, new tasks. The accomplishments of 1990s, the solid foundation created, and our economic achievements, our political activities, our strengthened positions in the region today have brought Azerbaijan up to a qualitatively new level. The today’s successful development of Azerbaijan is of great significance not only for us, our people but also for the whole region. It is us who should define the trends of our development, we should do it together. As the President of the Azerbaijan Republic, and as a result of support I received from the people, I am pursuing this policy, at the same time we all – the Azerbaijan’s society, leading part of the society – should be actively involve in this work, and we are doing so. It makes me very happy, because our objective, our idea is to make our country more powerful, to achieve democratic development of the Azerbaijan’s society, consolidate it, to solve existing socio-economic problems in Azerbaijan as soon as possible, and further strengthen our country’s position in the region. We have results, accomplishments in all these fields, and wonderful traditions continue.

I personally don’t see any serious problems in Azerbaijan neither in the near nor in the distant future, because development of our country is sustainable. The today’s policy reflects the people’s will. This is why all our programs will be implemented successfully.

The future of science in Azerbaijan is a constant focus of attention. It has already been said here that certain concrete steps had been taken. It testifies once again that our policy, our programs reflect our reality, rest on it, and the results are obvious. We make decisions, which are implemented immediately, and then we obtain results. Attention, care for development of science in Azerbaijan will be seen in the future. We will take steps towards strengthening material and technical basis for development of science, and I don’t doubt that all the outstanding tasks will find their solutions.

Development of fundamental science is of paramount importance. Azerbaijan has achieved great success in this field. I hope the development in this sphere will continue.

Simultaneously, great attention should be paid to development of humanitarian sciences. Accomplishments in this field are also obvious. At the same time, I think we should get involved more actively with respect to this issue, carry out more serious work as it is no secret that our notorious neighbors, distorting recent and distant history, have assumed the full-scale offensive against Azerbaijan on all sides. If in early 1990s their propaganda was built merely on lie and slander, today, however, this tactics has changed as in 1990s Azerbaijan was as a matter of fact isolated from the global community. Armenians and the world Armenians, and the Armenian lobby were spreading lie and slander about Azerbaijan. On the contrary, we were deprived of an opportunity to refute that. That’s why the propaganda of that time was rough and slanderous.

Today, Azerbaijan has turned into a worthy member of the global community. Azerbaijan is actively working in various international organizations. Today, we are building our propaganda work more effectively as our propaganda rests on reality and facts, but not lie. This means it is impossible today to blacken Azerbaijan. That is why the Armenians have resorted to a new tactics, which is to distort the recent and distant history, distort the cause of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and present Azerbaijan as an aggressive country.

At the same time our distant history is being distorted. For example, it is no secret in Azerbaijan that the Armenians came to Nagorny Karabakh – the integral part of Azerbaijan – as guests. In 70s of the last century there was a monument symbolizing their settling, and the 150th anniversary of Armenian’s settling in Karabakh was celebrated. But very few people but us are aware of it.

During my meetings with heads of state, in various international organizations, both in the past and now I particularly emphasize this fact as it testifies once again that the Armenians have no the right to claim that Nagorny Karabakh belonged to them in the past. But I see very few people around the world know it. We know but it is not enough. We need to bring this truth to the global community. We need to translate the books into other languages.

Speakers have touched here upon new opportunities. By using information communication technologies now we are able to bring our thoughts, our realities to whatever audience. This work has to be done more actively via internet. So, both Academy and other relevant bodies face a big task. We need to carry out these activities together. I don’t mean we like our neighbors should distort the history. We just have to bring truth and realities of our recent and distant history to the world. I hope very serious work will be done because as I have mentioned, yet some work had been done but it cannot suit us. All necessary conditions will be created, and extra funds will be allocated to this end. We should to carry out this work in the form of program.

In all, we need to provide more comprehensive information about Azerbaijan to the international community covering various spheres of the country’s life, as unfortunately there is no sufficient information about Azerbaijan. In a number of cases, some spiteful forces, the Armenian lobby and its bosses try to blacken Azerbaijan, and describe it as non-democratic country. The reasons are clear: the Azerbaijan’s successful policy in all spheres, today has gained advantages. In particular, it concerns the settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict as the historical truth is on our side. As I have already mentioned, we need to get more actively involved in bringing it to the global community. The processes taking place in the region are also strengthening Azerbaijan’s positions. N the framework of the regional cooperation, this difference between Azerbaijan and Armenia is clear to all. From the standpoint of economic potential Azerbaijan surpasses Armenia by several times. This abyss between us will become deeper in the future.

The ways of legal settlement of the conflict are also in favor of Azerbaijan, as we demand it to be resolved only in accordance with the international law norms, and no compromise is possible in this issue. The Armenia’s position simply rests on their desire and is based on the false history.

I reiterate that the attempts to stain Azerbaijan, to undermine its reputation and present the events taking place in Azerbaijan to the international community in a distorted form are undertaken in all direction. We feel it. In particular, it was most clearly revealed on the eve of the parliamentary elections. There were a lot of slanderous publications in foreign media having nothing to do with Azerbaijan’s realities. We showed interest in that and made sure that their greater part was ordered by the Armenian lobby. We must be prepared for that. I reiterate that more serious work should be done in this field, we should intensify our efforts. I hope our efforts will bring good results.

Additional steps will be taken to strengthen material and technical basis of the Academy of Science. There have just first steps so far. We need to achieve further strengthening of this material and technical basis, and providing more support to the institutes functioning under the academy. Of course, salaries of those working in the system of the Academy should be increased, we will do it. But it is also clear that these issues are linked to economic potential of the country. This is why we have paid more attention to this sphere over the last years. Creation of powerful economic potential, successful implementation of the Heydar Aliyev’s oil strategy, and pursuing the policy of liberalization in economy in Azerbaijan bring very good results. Our budget is rising, and our spending is rising. Progress is evident, one can say, in all fields. The Gross Domestic Product including industrial production is rising as rapidly as nowhere in the world. This not simply a macroeconomic figure: macroeconomic figures should be reflected in every Azerbaijani family. Every citizen of Azerbaijan should have the opportunity to have a job, high salary for his children to study under favorable conditions, so today on one hand the program of economic development, that of development of regions is implemented, and on the other hand, great attention will be paid to social problems. Azerbaijan should build schools, hospitals, create and reinforce other infrastructure. As our economic potential strengthens, of course, larger investments will be made in science.

Azerbaijan is an oil country. It was mentioned today that the Azerbaijani scientists did a great job to explore our oil fields. Had not our scientists discover these fields the today’s oil potential would not be so rich in Azerbaijan, our transnational projects would not be implemented or delayed for maybe ten, twenty, thirty years. But we have no time. We need to be prepared for the processes taking place today in the changing world. So, any delay, any lateness works against us.

Our policy is flexible. We are resolutely holding economic reforms, including political ones. Political and economic reforms should be held simultaneously in Azerbaijan. We have achieve this, and it will ensure our success.

It was mentioned here that the first volume of the National encyclopedia is already prepared, and was presemt3d to me two months ago. I got acquainted with the first version, there was some criticism, now I am going to look over the second one. This is a great deed, historical event. In 1970s at the initiative of Heydar Aliyev, the Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia was created. True, there were certain ideological limits at that time, and some political issues, historical issues in some cases were considered in it from the ideological standpoint. At the same time, the Encyclopedia reflected ancient history, ethnography, archeology, nature and other spheres of life of Azerbaijan. The new Encyclopedia, however, will became that of the independent Azerbaijan Republic.

It was rightly mentioned here today that an encyclopedia is normally created upon completion of a certain stage and entering a new stage. Today Azerbaijan is on a new stage. Azerbaijan has been formed as an independent state. Independence is not simply symbolical attributes. Today Azerbaijan in full sense of the word is pursuing independent policy both inside and outside the country, in the region and in the whole world.

Of course independent Azerbaijan should have its national encyclopedia. This will be a fundamental 25-volume work. Full information about Azerbaijan will be reflected in it. It will be a very detailed and true work. I have set the task – no distorts it should contain. No correction for political conjuncture as this encyclopedia will live for 10, 20, 100 years. Of course all events of resent and distant past should be reflected in it. It is big stag that is working at the encyclopedia, and I am sure that it will be prepared at a highest level and presented to the people of Azerbaijan.

At the same time, the books in Latin alphabet have already been distributed. Our approach to this issue was very intensive, and we have organized this for the very short period of time. The work, which normally takes ten years, has been done for a few years.

Repair of museums functioning under the academy has begun. He Museum of History of Azerbaijan is at the moment closed for major repair. It will meet international standards as the best worlds and European specialists had been invited. The house of Zeynalabdin Tagiyev will be restored to look as it was built by him, and maybe even better. Simultaneously, all conditions will be created, and necessary equipment installed for demonstration of its displays.

Repair works are also being carried out in the Museum of Azerbaijani literature. It is necessary to restore all hearths of Azerbaijani culture – museums, theaters, other infrastructure because these establishments, buildings serve people. Many of them are of historical significance. Now we do have the possibilities to do so, we should restore them at the highest possible level and hand them over to the people.

Dear friends!

I am very happy to be at this celebration with you today. I will further try to do my best for development of the academy. I want to reiterate that I am absolutely sure that knowledge, literacy and development of sciences are what normal development of any country needs first. Scientific potential in Azerbaijan is quite strong. Members of the National Academy of Sciences are very deserved persons. These are people who won people’s respect for their scientific and public activities, and we can be proud of them. I am also proud that the National Academy of Sciences is on a very high level today. We have to do our best to work hard to provide support to the academy, solve al its problems and achieve further development of science in Azerbaijan.

I once again congratulate you on the occasion of this wonderful holiday. I wish you success and good health.

Thank you!