A ceremony on presentation of the book 'Coryphaeus of the New Arab Literature' by professor Aida Imanguliyeva, a prominent scholar in the oriental studies, and awarding President of the Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva the title of Goodwill Ambassador of ISESCO - Islamic Countries Education, Science and Culture Organization, was held at the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, November 23.
President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva addressed the ceremony.
Speech by Mehriban Aliyeva:
Dear Mr Director General!
Dear Ladies and Gentlemen!
Dear Guests!
I greet you at Heydar Aliyev Foundation. I am very glad to see you at our Foundation. I express my deep gratitude to Islamic Countries Education, Science and Culture Organization and Mr Abdulaziz Osman al-Tuveyrji, personally to You for granting me the high title like Goodwill Ambassador.
It is great honor to me that a prestigious organization such as ISESCO attaches such high value to my activity.
ISESCO covering 57 countries carries out very generous mission. Major objective of the organization is to establish relations among world countries in field of science, education and culture and dialog among nations. In its turn it guarantees peace and security. During its 24-year activity Islamic Countries Education, Science and Culture Organization has done very big works, gained very big successes, implemented big projects for development of science, education and culture in Muslim countries. It needs to mention that ISESCO does not limit its activity with Muslim countries exclusively. There are such countries worldwide where total number of Muslims in population is 30, 20 and even 10%. But ISESCO is in firm cooperation with these countries also, develops programs, allocates credits, grants for development of science, education and culture.
Another very essential direction of ISESCO activity is protection of rich historical heritage of Islamic world and delivery to future generations. Existence of Muslim states today facing the war attaches special importance to this activity. We highly value the statement given by the organization on destruction of religious monuments during war in Iraq. As you know, 20% of territory of Azerbaijan is under occupation as well. There were hundreds of cultural, historical and religious monuments in these areas. All these have savagely been destructed by occupants. We give these facts, realities to the world community, international organizations. In this direction we much appreciate support by ISESCO and Organization for Islamic Countries.
After Azerbaijan restored its independence it establishes very close cooperation with Islamic countries, and it is active member at Organization for Islamic Countries that brings our countries together. As you know summit of foreign ministers of OIC member countries was held this year in our country. Later, Muslim countries tourism ministers meeting was arranged. OIC youth forum was founded this year on Azerbaijan's initiative. All this prove that our country attaches very big attention to strengthening of cooperation with Islamic world, Muslim states.
At present there are large possibilities for cooperation between Islamic Countries Education, Science and Culture Organization and Heydar Aliyev Foundation. As you know since its establishment Heydar Aliyev Foundation has set development of science and education, protection of our national cultural legacy as priority in its activity. Within short time we have implemented a number of projects, gained successes. Projects 'New school to new Azerbaijan', 'Development of boarding schools and children homes', 'Assurance of access of blind and visually impaired people to ICT' etc have already been completed and today we see concrete results of them. Over 180 new schools have been built and equipped with very modern appliances in the country for 2 years on initiative of the Foundation. There is computer room at every school. 29 boarding schools and children homes were fundamentally repaired, their logistics innovated. New educational center has been created for visually impaired people. The center has been supplied with the very modern computer systems existing in the world, teachers have been trained.
In our activity we pay great attention to protection of our national cultural heritage. As you know, International Mugham Center is under construction in our capital on initiative of Heydar Aliyev Foundation and due to support of UNESCO. I can say this building is being constructed in the most beautiful site of the capital - in National Mark on the sea coast. A number of historical and religious monuments - Javad Khan Mausoleum, Pir Hasan Sanctuary, Movsum Selim and Hazrati Zeynab Mosques have been restored.
At the same time Heydar Aliyev Foundation keeps firm ties with several scientific centers worldwide. A number of international conferences were held in our Foundation within a year. Conference 'UNESCO-Azerbaijan: Bridge To Future' jointly arranged with UNESCO on education reforms was held in Baku and Paris.
1st International Conference 'Medicine and Pharmaceutics in Medieval Manuscripts' in association with Washington Academy, XIII International Conference 'Cultural Diversity in Eurasia: Azerbaijan - Past and Present of Dialog Among Civilizations' together with Latin Culture Academy were held in Baku. We invite world-famous scholars to all these events and try to inform them of realities of our country. This, in its turn, plays big role in formation of true image of Azerbaijan.
Governed by UNESCO and ISESCO principles Heydar Aliyev Foundation considers it is very necessary to help other states and nations facing difficulties. Just for this purpose general education school is under construction on initiative of Heydar Aliyev Foundation in Muzaffarabad city of Pakistan suffered from quake.
In a word, as I said, there are very nice and wide opportunities for cooperation between ISESCO and Heydar Aliyev Foundation. I am confident we together will implement a number of big projects.
Dear guests, it is double happy day for me. Because we are holding today ceremony of presentation of book 'Leaders of new Arab literature' published in Arab language of Mrs Aida Imanguliyeva, prominent scholar in oriental studies. This book has been translated into Arab language and released on initiative of ISESCO. For this initiative I express my deep gratitude to Islamic Countries Education, Science and Culture Organization and Mr Director General personally.
Mrs Aida Imanguliyeva was an unforgettable person. She had short but very bright and happy life. She had united the most beautiful features of Azeri woman. She was high-educated, intellectual, patriot, scholar of a principle, at the same time very glorious, very beautiful woman giving all her love to her family, always ready to cordially help. All scientific creativity of Mrs Imanguliyeva was directed to establishment and strengthening of ties between Azerbaijan and East. She also achieved distribution of philosophy of Azeri science in Islamic world. Nowadays, almost all desires of Aida Imanguliyeva are reality in independent Azerbaijan and our republic has established not only scientific and cultural relations but also economic and political ties in highest level. In all these spheres we see trainees of school of Aida Imanguliyeva, her continuers. So, desires, scientific heritage of Mrs Imanguliyeva live today and serve our state.
For this initiative I once again express my deep gratitude to Islamic Countries Education, Science and Culture Organization and personally to Mr Director General.
Lastly, I deeply thank you for warm words said about me, my functioning. I believe the future activity of Heydar Aliyev Foundation with ISESCO for friendship and consolidation will be more successful. I wish you health, long life and happiness. Thank you so much.