To the 14th Congress of Azerbaijani Teachers

Distinguished delegates of the Congress!

I heartily greet you and all the teachers of Azerbaijan and wish you health and happiness and new successes in your activities.

Throughout history, the Azerbaijani teacher has made a great contribution to the development of the intellectual potential of our people. A teacher that guards our language, literature, culture and spirituality has always enjoyed respect and esteem in society. The basis of all successes scored by Azerbaijan is the hard work and daily activities of teachers. All work carried out in the education system, including the construction of 2,700 schools over the last 10 years, increased funding for education, improvements in its management and other reforms, in general, provide a solid basis for strengthening the position of the teacher who is the driving force of our education.

An important event that distinguishes your Congress from previous supreme forums of Azerbaijani teachers is its holding after the adoption of the "National Strategy for the Development of Education in the Azerbaijan Republic". Defining the priorities and key objectives of the national education system in the coming period, the strategy sets new vital tasks to you for the future of our people. Its requirement is to ensure that the education system in our rapidly modernizing country serves to develop human capital, to bring the qualitative indicators of education to the highest level and to create radical changes at all levels, as well as to organize effective activities of the teacher in accordance with international standards.

I hope that your Congress will objectively evaluate the work done over the past period and contribute to the improvement of the country's education system with its discussions and decisions on momentous issues, and I wish each of you success. I am sure that Azerbaijani teachers will continue to do everything possible to educate the young generation in the spirit of patriotism and educate citizens true to the ideology of Azerbaijanism and capable of representing our country in a globalizing world with credit.

Sincerely,

Ilham Aliyev,

President of the Azerbaijan Republic

Baku, 13 December 2013