At the meeting of the Presidium of ANAS, the Decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, dated February 3, 2025, "On the Celebration of the 140th Anniversary of Uzeyir Hajibeyli", and the tasks assigned to ANAS were discussed.

The President of ANAS, Academician Isa Habibbeyli, stated that in September 2025, the 140th anniversary of the birth of Uzeyir Hajibeyli—the genius Azerbaijani composer, creator of the first opera in the East, great musicologist, talented publicist, playwright, teacher, renowned public figure, People's Artist, laureate of State Prizes, and full member of the Azerbaijan Academy of Sciences—would be completed.

Academician Isa Habibbeyli emphasized that Uzeyir Hajibeyli, the author of Azerbaijan's National Anthem and the founder of the country's first national opera, operetta, and symphony orchestra, made an unprecedented contribution to the enlightenment of the Azerbaijani people in the 20th century. He not only instilled patriotism through his magnificent compositions but also through his rich journalistic works, which stand on the same level as those of the Molla Nasreddin movement.

"There is no composer in Azerbaijan's musical history or in the Muslim and Turkic world whose name can be mentioned on the same level as Uzeyir Hajibeyli. His operetta 'Arshin Mal Alan' has been staged in many countries worldwide. His birthday is celebrated at a high level in Azerbaijan as the National Music Day. In short, Uzeyir Hajibeyli is our national pride. While composers such as Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, and Schubert are widely known globally, there is no composer as versatile as Uzeyir Hajibeyli," said Academician Isa Habibbeyli.

In addition to the composer's outstanding work, ANAS played a significant role in his life. Habibbeyli noted that Hajibeyli was one of the 15 founders of the Academy in 1945 and was elected a member of the Presidium. He also contributed to the preservation of Azerbaijani folk music and its scientific study. The manuscripts and personal archives of Hajibeyli are preserved at the Muhammad Fuzuli Institute of Manuscripts of ANAS.

Academician Habibbeyli pointed out that numerous works and articles on the life and creativity of the great composer have been published, with Academician Zemfira Safarova conducting extensive research on Hajibeyli's legacy and presenting it both nationally and internationally. However, he stressed the necessity of preparing a collective monograph that fully reflects Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s rich and multifaceted activities, stating:
"Until now, musicologists have studied Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s work as a composer, while literary critics have analyzed his literary creativity. A comprehensive work— a collective monograph—must be prepared to showcase his diverse contributions. This will be a historic contribution of Azerbaijani science to his 140th anniversary."

Academician Habibbeyli also announced plans to mark the 140th anniversary of Hajibeyli at ANAS with the participation of foreign guests, particularly representatives from the Turkic world. He recalled that last year, ANAS organized a performance of "Leyli and Majnun" by the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater and announced plans for a similar event this year.

Expressing gratitude on behalf of ANAS to the President of Azerbaijan for his continuous attention to Uzeyir Hajibeyli’s legacy, Habibbeyli emphasized that the Presidential Decree provides an opportunity to re-evaluate the composer’s work and introduce it to younger generations and the global community in light of the nation’s independent cultural development.