Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences

A lecture entitled “The Foundational Stage of Azerbaijan’s Modern Development Concept”, dedicated to the 57th anniversary of National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s rise to political leadership in Azerbaijan, was held at the Central Scientific Library of ANAS.

The event was jointly organized by the Presidium of ANAS, the Central Scientific Library of ANAS, and the Yasamal District Organization of the New Azerbaijan Party (YAP).

Prior to the event, participants laid flowers at the bust of the National Leader of the Azerbaijani people and founder of the modern independent Republic of Azerbaijan, Heydar Aliyev, located in the administrative building of the Central Scientific Library of ANAS, and paid deep respect to his cherished memory.

The event commenced with the National Anthem of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The memory of National Leader Heydar Aliyev and the martyrs was honored with a one-minute silence.

Opening the lecture with introductory remarks, President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, stated that 14 July 1969 marked one of the most significant turning points in the history of Azerbaijani statehood. He emphasized that Heydar Aliyev’s election as First Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Azerbaijan laid the foundation for a new stage in the development of Azerbaijani statehood. Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that the Plenum held on 5 August 1969 was of particular historical importance, as it was the first occasion on which Heydar Aliyev’s state-building program was openly presented and the future directions of Azerbaijan’s development were defined.

The President of ANAS stated that, as a result of the consistent and purposeful reforms implemented under Heydar Aliyev’s leadership, Azerbaijan became one of the most advanced republics of the former USSR. According to him, this policy not only ensured dynamic development in industry, agriculture, science, and culture, but also significantly enhanced Azerbaijan’s reputation both within the Soviet Union and internationally, while making an important contribution to promoting the country’s rich historical and cultural heritage worldwide.

In his speech, Academician Isa Habibbeyli noted that the celebration of the 840th anniversary of Nizami Ganjavi throughout the USSR and the commemoration of the anniversary of Imadaddin Nasimi at both the USSR and UNESCO levels played a major role in introducing Azerbaijan’s historical and cultural heritage to the international community. He also described the celebration of the 1,300th anniversary of the “Book of Dede Gorgud” as an important event in presenting the ancient history of the Azerbaijani people and Oghuz culture to the world. He stressed that the international projects implemented within the framework of the “Year of Nizami Ganjavi”, declared by President Ilham Aliyev, clearly demonstrate the successful continuation of the policy initiated by the National Leader.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli also highlighted the exceptional role of National Leader Heydar Aliyev’s economic policy in the country’s development, noting that, on his initiative, Azerbaijan established its oil engineering industry and created a solid foundation for the advancement of both industry and agriculture.

“Heydar Aliyev’s ideas of national statehood played a decisive role in preserving and strengthening Azerbaijan’s independence,” Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated. He noted that the ceasefire achieved in 1994 created favorable conditions for strengthening the country’s economic and military potential. He added that, under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, Azerbaijan has effectively utilized this potential to fully restore its sovereignty and territorial integrity, achieve significant progress in the economic, military, scientific, and cultural spheres, and further reinforce its international standing.

Concluding his remarks, Academician Isa Habibbeyli stated that, remaining faithful to Heydar Aliyev’s ideas, the Azerbaijani people continue to move confidently toward new goals under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, ensuring the country’s development and further strengthening its sovereignty.

Chairman of the Yasamal District Organization of the New Azerbaijan Party, Bakhtiyar Nabiyev, then addressed the event, stating that Heydar Aliyev’s appointment as the leader of Azerbaijan in 1969 laid the foundation for the country’s comprehensive development strategy. According to him, the purposeful reforms implemented between 1969 and 1982 transformed Azerbaijan into one of the leading industrial and agrarian republics of the former USSR. Significant achievements were made in various sectors of the economy, hundreds of industrial enterprises were commissioned, housing construction expanded considerably, and agriculture and manufacturing developed dynamically.

Bakhtiyar Nabiyev emphasized that National Leader Heydar Aliyev identified education and the training of national personnel as one of the priorities of state policy. He noted that, at the initiative of the National Leader, thousands of Azerbaijani young people were provided with opportunities to study at the prestigious higher education institutions of the former USSR, while the material and technical infrastructure of higher educational institutions in Azerbaijan was substantially improved.

The Chairman of the Yasamal District Organization of the New Azerbaijan Party also described Heydar Aliyev’s speech in the Azerbaijani language during the 50th anniversary celebration of Baku State University as a landmark event in strengthening national self-awareness and respect for the mother tongue.

He further noted that strategic projects such as the Jamshid Nakhchivanski Military School and the Baku Deepwater Jackets Factory were implemented on Heydar Aliyev’s initiative. He added that the inclusion of the Azerbaijani language as the state language in the 1978 Constitution became one of the greatest achievements in the history of Azerbaijan’s national statehood. It was emphasized that the National Leader consistently attached great importance to science, education, and the development of national human resources, taking systematic measures to encourage and support the work of scientists.

Bakhtiyar Nabiyev stressed that the course of state-building and foreign policy established by Heydar Aliyev is being successfully continued today by President Ilham Aliyev. He particularly highlighted the strengthening of cooperation within the Turkic world and the further development of the brotherly relations between Azerbaijan and Türkiye as key priorities of this policy.

The event also featured speeches by Chairman of the ANAS Free Trade Union, Associate Professor Sanan Hasanov, PhD in Economics, and Head of Department at the Institute of Linguistics, Professor Sayali Sadigova. They spoke about the historic role of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in shaping Azerbaijan’s modern development concept and strengthening the traditions of statehood. They also shared their views on his special attention to science and education, as well as his efforts to preserve national and moral values.

At the conclusion of the event, within the framework of the “Year of Urban Planning and Architecture,” Honorary Certificates were presented to a group of active members of the New Azerbaijan Party in recognition of their public and political activities.

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

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