“The successful development of any country of the modern world will certainly be determined by its intellectual potential. It would be enough to look at the experience of developed countries and ask why these countries are considered developed. It is due to knowledge, competence and technology,” said President Ilham Aliyev in his message on the start of a new school year and Knowledge Day.

“It is the developed countries that are now inventing and offering new technologies to the world. In fact, many of these countries do not have natural resources. Therefore, the development of any country is not measured by its natural resources. In the future, this will manifest itself even more clearly. So the funds invested in education are funds invested in the future, independence and security of each country.

It is no coincidence that the expenditure allocated for education in Azerbaijan is in second place among other budget expenses. If we were not at war, they would be in first place because our largest expenditure at present is related to defense. And this is only natural. In other words, this in itself serves as an indicator, a manifestation of our policy and reflects our intentions. I am glad that today our youth is attracted to knowledge. They must have knowledge and be competent in order to govern our country in the future. Our tomorrow will be in the hands of children, pupils and students going to schools and universities today. Their knowledge and competence will, of course, determine the future of our country. At the same time, I must specifically note that our youth and children should be brought up in the spirit of patriotism, in the national spirit, on the basis of national values – traditional Azerbaijani values. Of course, the role of the family is of paramount importance. At the same time, teachers in all schools must educate students in the national spirit, in the spirit of traditional values,” the head of state said.