Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

At the regular meeting of the Presidium of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS), a report by ANAS President Academician Isa Habibbeyli entitled “The Calls of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev Regarding the Development of Science in His Interview with Local Television Channels and the Tasks of the National Academy of Sciences” was heard.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that the President’s interview vividly portrayed the position of the independent state at the international and regional levels, the purposeful policies pursued, and a realistic and comprehensive picture of the achievements attained. He noted that the interview presents a full and substantive panorama of the place and role of independent and modern Azerbaijan on the global stage, the political will and strategy of the head of state, opening new horizons for Azerbaijani society and setting important tasks.

The head of ANAS emphasized that peace and security issues occupy a special place on the agenda of President Ilham Aliyev. He noted that the President rightly described the political endorsement of Azerbaijan’s brilliant military victory, marked on August 8 last year in Washington, in the world’s number one office with the participation of U.S. President Donald Trump, and the initialing of the provisions of the Peace Agreement with Armenia, as “one of the most memorable events in our history of independence, perhaps the foremost”. The speaker stressed that, in the current difficult geopolitical environment, the Azerbaijani people have full confidence that President Ilham Aliyev will successfully conclude the Peace Agreement and that the nation will live, build, and create in peaceful conditions.

Stating that one of the main theses of the President’s interview with local television channels was “We must always be strong”, Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that today the United Nations lacks effective mechanisms to influence political developments worldwide and that the principle of the rule of law is not always observed. He noted that Azerbaijan’s high-level relations not only with the United States but also with China, as well as its election as a full member of the D-8 Organization and the Central Asia Consultative Council, demonstrate the country’s growing international standing. Referring to the President’s special attention to the holding of the Summit of the Organization of Turkic States in Gabala, Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that as a result of the head of state’s efforts, the organization’s activities have strengthened in recent years, reinforcing unity and solidarity within the Turkic world.

It was emphasized that conveying the processes unfolding in the country’s history to Azerbaijani society also occupies a special place in the President’s interview. The construction of 2,500 kilometers of roads within the city of Baku, plans to build 10 metro stations in the coming years, the successful implementation of socio-economic projects in Karabakh and East Zangezur, important steps taken regarding the Zangezur corridor, and other developments make it possible to forecast that 2026 will also be a year of high-level development.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that President Ilham Aliyev, as the Victorious Leader of a victorious country, is a reform-oriented head of state.

Drawing attention to President Ilham Aliyev’s statement, “I have said this many times and I say it again: the development of developed countries is connected only with intellect, reason, education, and science, not with oil and gas. Look at the situation of countries rich in oil and gas and that of developed countries. Where do their technologies come from? Do they invent them themselves? No, they come from those brain centers, technological hubs. And what does that depend on? Education and science. Therefore, we must work actively in this direction. All these factors pursue one goal: that society be educated and knowledgeable. Only then can we achieve long-term development,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli said that the head of state, taking into account the special role and importance of science and education in the development of modern society, once again brought these issues to the center of public attention alongside global order and national realities. He added that the reforms carried out under the President’s leadership in recent years have contributed to the development of science and education in the country.

Within the framework of the integration of science and education, the head of ANAS issued instructions to strengthen the work of scholars with school students and university students, including the organization of regular meetings, lectures, and seminars.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that in President Ilham Aliyev’s doctrine of independent statehood and Azerbaijanism, the issue of the mother tongue as the state language has always held special relevance and importance. At the 70th and 80th anniversaries of the National Academy of Sciences, President Ilham Aliyev declared that preserving the purity of the Azerbaijani language, protecting it from external influences, and enriching it through internal resources constitute one of the core principles of state policy.

“The fact that the head of state once again raised the issue of preserving and developing the Azerbaijani language in his interview with local television channels on January 5, 2026, demonstrates how responsible this factor is for the fate and evolution of the country and the people. The topic of the Azerbaijani language in the President’s interview is an expanded, more broadly framed, and substantiated continuation of the tasks set in this direction at the Academy’s 80th anniversary. A consistent approach to language issues shows that President Ilham Aliyev’s policy on the Azerbaijani language, linked to independent statehood and national identity, is sustainable and irreversible. The high value that President Ilham Aliyev rightly attaches to the Azerbaijani language as one of the main attributes of the state, and his appreciation of its status, power, and beauty, provide the most complete answer to why we must preserve our mother tongue: “Language is one of the main attributes of the state, perhaps the foremost, together with the flag, coat of arms, and anthem. Language is the factor that makes a nation a nation. Our language is the language of a great people, and we must never forget this, and our language cannot be in the shadow of any other nation,” the head of ANAS emphasized.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that scientifically determining and conveying to society the ways and means of preserving the mother tongue, strengthening its position, and enriching it through internal resources is a sacred duty and responsibility of ANAS, especially of researchers at institutes in the humanities and social sciences. He added that the scientific study and teaching of the grammatical foundations of the Azerbaijani language to new generations is one of the most important achievements of the past century.

Providing information on the steps taken at ANAS to preserve the purity of the Azerbaijani language, Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that the Orthographic Dictionary is nearing completion and that work on the Orthoepic Dictionary continues. He announced that in the near future, based on existing staff positions and internal resources, a “Modern Azerbaijani Language and Speech Culture” department will be established at the Nasimi Institute of Linguistics of ANAS on the basis of the “Modern Azerbaijani Language” department. He also emphasized the necessity of digitizing terminological dictionaries, creating a National Terminology Corpus, developing online dictionaries for broad use, reinstating the teaching of the subject of speech culture, and restoring a television program dedicated to the Azerbaijani language.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli stressed that preserving the purity of the Azerbaijani language is not only the responsibility of the Institute of Linguistics but of other research institutions as well and, in general, of the entire scholarly community.

The report also noted that President Ilham Aliyev’s heartfelt and multi-layered remarks about land, made in response to the question “What does land mean to you?”, represent a vivid and comprehensive culmination of his views on independent statehood and Azerbaijanism. These are lessons in patriotism delivered at the level of the head of state about the motherland. President Ilham Aliyev’s love for the native land and his oath to protect it serve as an example for every citizen of Azerbaijan.

“Today, Azerbaijani science and the scholars of the National Academy of Sciences, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, are fully mobilized to further develop scientific thought in our country, ensure that science serves national development more effectively, deeply internalize national and moral values, and train new generations of scientists, steadfastly fulfilling their responsibilities as researchers and their civic duties.

On behalf of the ANAS collective, I would like to assure President Ilham Aliyev that the ideas expressed, the tasks set, and the calls put forward in the head of state’s speech at the 80th anniversary meeting of ANAS and in his interview with local television channels will be implemented unwaveringly by our scholars and research institutions,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli said at the conclusion of his report.

Translation by Gulhane Aghayeva, Department of Public Relations, Press, and Information, Presidium of ANAS.

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