May 10 marks the 99th birthday of Heydar Aliyev, a world-famous politician, the founder of the modern history of Azerbaijan, and the great leader who made incomparable contributions to the independence of our country. His memory is always dear to us.

The years of Heydar Aliyev's rule were remembered by adding a number of important pages to the history of the Republic of Azerbaijan, including the history of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences. Even after 1969, Heydar Aliyev, who acted as one of the top leaders of the former USSR state, paid special attention to the intensive development of scientific potential in our republic and the training of new highly qualified scientific personnel. In the 1970s and 1980s, he sent young specialists to the leading scientific institutions of the world in order to create a base in our republic in different fields of science. Thanks to H.A.Aliyev's foresight, modern fields of science, including biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, biophysics, gene biotechnology, bioinformatics, bioenergetics, have developed in our republic. Today, scientific-research works of our biologists-scientists aimed at the comprehensive study of plants at the botanical, technological, medical, physico-chemical, cellular, and genetic level and, ultimately, the management of agriculture and industry for the benefit of people, are internationally recognized and appreciated.

The mighty great leader, who knows the value of nature and greenery, always remembered its protection. The second volume of the "Red Book of Azerbaijan" was published on the basis of H.Aliyev's order. The third volume is currently being prepared in honor of his 100th anniversary.

When Heydar Aliyev made official visits to various countries of the world when he was the head of our republic, he would definitely visit advanced science centers, meet prominent scientific and cultural figures, including Azerbaijani intellectuals living in distant lands, and give valuable advice. It should be noted that thanks to the consistent policy of Heydar Aliyev, Azerbaijan was admitted to the Council of Europe, which opened wide opportunities for intellectuals and scientists of our republic. In modern times, intensification of interstate cooperation, identification of future scientific directions, conducting research at a high level and applying its results to relevant fields, etc. is a real manifestation of these possibilities.

The Academy of Sciences, which was proposed to be abolished by some "forces" in the late 80s and early 90s, took the right direction and strengthened its position thanks to the goal-oriented policy of the great leader. Back on January 31, 1997, when the head of the country received the members and leading scientists of the Academy, he put before the Academy of Sciences issues of great importance for today and tomorrow. Starting from that year, fundamental reforms were started in the Academy and a number of measures were taken in the field of improving the structure of ANAS. The created fertile conditions restored the spirit of our scientists and mobilized them to achieve unprecedented achievements. Biologists also had a share in the achievements. Thus, with the initiative of Academician J. Aliyev, the plant, including grain, gene pool of Azerbaijan was greatly enriched and the bread problem in the country was completely solved. The "National Program of Plant Genetic Resources of the Republic of Azerbaijan", which is the fruit of the scientist's hard work, was his valuable contribution to our new century.

Carrying out reforms, nationalizing the Academy of Sciences, holding elections for real and correspondent members of the Academy, the special decree of Mr. Heydar Aliyev on the eve of the election on increasing the number of members of the Academy, the decree on establishing individual scholarships, and finally, the decrees on periodically increasing the wages of ANAS employees are the effective results of the consistent policy of the great leader. it was a bright manifestation of his fruition and humanist position.

His worthy followers continue this policy. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev, who was able to realize his visionary ideas for the liberation of Karabakh from the hated enemy in just 44 days, and who surprised the whole world thanks to the bravery of our heroic National Army and his new fighting tactics, followed his father's will by signing an unprecedented Victory. At present, the construction works and the implementation of various projects in the lands of Karabakh bring great joy. Currently, biologists are planning large-scale research in the direction of researching the biological diversity of Karabakh.

Today, the main task facing our scientists is to justify the trust shown to them, to unite closely around the President of the country, to protect the statehood of Azerbaijan, to strengthen its independence, and to try to increase the intensity of fundamental and applied research for the sake of economic revival.