Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the opening ceremony of the School-Gymnasium educational complex

-Dear Sadyr Nurgozhoyevich, dear friends, dear teachers and pupils of the school.

First of all, I would like to express my gratitude to the President of Kyrgyzstan for the decision to name this school after the outstanding son of the Azerbaijani people, Heydar Aliyev. This is one of the largest schools in Bishkek. We regard this as a sign of friendship and brotherhood between our peoples, as a tribute to the memory of Heydar Aliyev. Also, as Sadyr Nurgozhoyevich has noted, we will visit another school today. It will be named after another outstanding son of Azerbaijan, Nizami Ganjavi – a poet, thinker and the pride of the Azerbaijani people. These significant events reflect the nature and spirit of the relations between our fraternal countries.

Yesterday, we participated in the opening of the Kyrgyzstan-Azerbaijan Friendship Park, which, in addition to being an excellent and modern place of recreation, also symbolizes the brotherhood of our peoples. These significant events we are experiencing today will leave a deep imprint in the memory of our peoples for many years to come. I am confident that the fraternal relations between our countries will gain new dynamism and receive a new impetus following my state visit.

Heydar Aliyev is an outstanding personality who left a deep mark on history. As the President of Kyrgyzstan has said, regardless of the place of work and the nature of the public and political system, he always defended the interests of Azerbaijan. Both in Soviet times and as the leader of Azerbaijan, he turned the Azerbaijan Republic from one of the backward republics in terms of socioeconomic development into one of the most advanced republics of the former USSR, and also later, when he oversaw the vast areas of the economic and industrial potential of the USSR as first deputy chairman of the government and afterward when the people of Azerbaijan called upon him to save the young Republic of Azerbaijan from collapsing in the most challenging period. We were on the brink of an abyss when not only did we lose territories as a result of the occupation and military aggression of the neighboring country but also plunged into chaos and the tragedy of a fratricidal civil war. The most brutal war is the civil war. Unfortunately, the Azerbaijani people experienced the bitterness of that. Only thanks to the resolve and determination of Heydar Aliyev and the faith of the Azerbaijani people in him, he managed to stop the fraternal bloodshed, stop Azerbaijan from sliding into chaos, save our young republic from fragmentation and put Azerbaijan on the path of development. He strengthened stability and security, attracted investment, and laid the foundation for a modern Azerbaijani army. Therefore, when we say that today's Azerbaijan is the brainchild of Heydar Aliyev, we are absolutely right. We, his successors, are following in his footsteps, of course, taking into account the specifics of the situation, taking into account the changing world, taking into account Azerbaijan's modern capabilities and the challenges we are facing. One of the testaments he left behind for us was the restoration of territorial integrity, and we fulfilled it with honor two years ago.

Every child, every young boy and girl, and every teenager is told at home and school to study well. The kids must have heard this so often that they are probably tired. But this is actually what we will always encourage you to do because this is the right path into the future. Knowledge and education are the factors that will allow you the opportunity to take a worthy place in society and contribute to the strengthening of your state. I think an example would work better than any instructions to study well. I can cite the example of Heydar Aliyev and his certificate of secondary education. He is an example for all students of Azerbaijani schools. There is not a single “four” there. All marks are “fives.” I don't know what evaluation system there is in Kyrgyzstan – it has been changed in Azerbaijan. But in Soviet times, a “five” was the highest mark. So he studied well from a very early age – both at school and university. And he also treated any work he had to do just as responsibly.

I must also say that the role of Heydar Aliyev in the upbringing of the modern generation of Azerbaijanis also stems from the Soviet era when Azerbaijan was the only republic of the former USSR which, at the insistence of Heydar Aliyev, had the right to send about a thousand Azerbaijani boys and girls to leading universities of the USSR without recruitment. In other words, they took exams in Baku and were sent to leading universities in the USSR. Thus, the personnel potential was generated, which is still in great demand in Azerbaijan today. I would also like to mention that the foundation laid by Heydar Aliyev in the field of army building has allowed us to defend our territory successfully. It was by his decision that a military school named after General Jamshid Nakhchivansky was established in Baku in the 1970s, training children for military service. This foresight of Heydar Aliyev, his vision of the future – as if he foresaw that Azerbaijan would become an independent state one day, that we would need an army, we would need specialists. And all this happened, and we had to be ready for any situation.

I would like to again express my gratitude to the President of Kyrgyzstan and the brotherly Kyrgyz people for such an attitude towards the memory of Heydar Aliyev. At the end of my speech, I would also like to invite teachers and students of the Heydar Aliyev School and the Nizami Ganjavi School to visit Azerbaijan. I have now issued relevant instructions. I invite you to spend your next holidays in Azerbaijan. We will organize your visit, your stay in Baku and, if you wish, in other places in Azerbaijan.

On the whole, I think that it is necessary to start working on establishing such relations and contacts between our secondary educational institutions. This will educate our youth in the spirit of cooperation, brotherhood and friendship. This will also enrich us mutually. Thank you again for today's wonderful gift to all the people of

Azerbaijan. I wish the brotherly people of Kyrgyzstan peace and prosperity. Thank you.