The work over developing a modern encyclopedia of Azerbaijan was organized in 1965. By the decision “On the publishing Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia” dated December 30 of the same year, General Editorial Board of Azerbaijan Soviet Encyclopedia under Presidium of Azerbaijan USSR AS was established and People Poet Rasul Rza was defined an editor-in-chief.

Tofig Naghiyev, Vice-President of ANAS, State Prize Laureate, director of Research Center "Azerbaijan National Encyclopedia"

"Khalg newspaper",  June 7, 2016