Speaker of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova who is in the Kyrgyz Republic on a working trip has spoken at an international conference held in honour of the 95^th jubilee of the great Kyrgyz writer Chinghiz Aytmatov. The Speaker said in her speech that Chinghiz Aytmatov had become a classic already in his lifetime and, as one of the founders of new prose in world literature, had left his readership a unique legacy. Sahiba Gafarova said that every one of this grand writer’s works could be referred to as the key one. He will always be remembered as a true example of commitment to universal values.

In her speech, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis recalled that Chinghiz Aytmatov had always been a big friend of Azerbaijan’s. Chinghiz Aytmatov, who had visited our country frequently, had uttered valuable thoughts about the Azerbaijani people and its culture. In turn, the Azerbaijani people regarded Chinghiz Aytmatov as a writer very close and dear to it; it treats his creative legacy with great care and sensitivity. Azerbaijan’s National Leader Heydar Aliyev who had valued the creative work and personality of Chinghiz Aytmatov highly had said, ‘Chinghiz Aytmatov who gifted the world literature’s treasury the splendid works is the pride of Kyrgyzstan and of the whole Turkic World alike.’ The jubilees of Chinghiz Aytmatov are celebrated extensively and with ceremony in Azerbaijan. The writer’s 80^th jubilee was celebrated at a high level in 2008. Chinghiz Aytmatov was decorated with the Friendship Order to a decree of President Ilham Aliyev. Bestowing such an elevated decoration, the President of Azerbaijan said that, invariably a great friend of Azerbaijan, Chinghiz Aytmatov was always a support to us, be it in the Soviet era or during the period of independence. Publication in Baku of numerous works and monographs about the creative endeavours of Chinghiz Aytmatov, the defence of candidacy and doctorate dissertations about the writer’s work, conferences dedicated to the creative output of the genius author and stage productions based on his literary works were all mentioned as well.

Sahiba Gafarova said that a street in Baku would be renamed in honour of Chinghiz Aytmatov and that the writer’s bust would be installed in the capital city of Azerbaijan in relation to his 95^th anniversary.

Having said that Chinghiz Aytmatov was an outstanding writer who had turned to philosophical, moral and universally human problems in all his literary works, the Speaker of the Milli Majlis added that the whole national identity of the Kyrgyz people was traceable through the prism of his literary creativity. The works of the remarkable author who introduced to world literature the image of Motherland having made it a moral heritage were translated to more than 170 languages and published in millions of copies.

Sahiba Gafarova also spoke of the socio-political and diplomatic activities of Chinghiz Aytmatov. Chinghiz Aytmatov who had worked for mutual understanding and mutual connexion of diverse cultures, peoples and countries had represented his country abroad with dignity.

The Speaker of the Milli Majlis reiterated the Kyrgyz people’s entitlement to the feeling of pride of having given the world such a unique, unparalleled and brilliant writer as Chinghiz Aytmatov who had taken his special place amongst the world’s genius classics. The memory of Chinghiz Aytmatov will live forever.

It should be mentioned that the leaders of parliaments of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assembly Member States, academicians, literary people and members of the local community took part in the international conferences as well. The speeches that were made offered thoughts about the very different pages of the great Kyrgyz writer’s life and creative path.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis