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Akbar Novruz

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Garabagh’s transformation was on full display during President Ilham Aliyev’s visit on December 23, as the head of state reviewed projects spanning settlement restoration, education, industry, and power supply. The visit reflected a broader policy focus on turning liberated territories into economically active and socially viable regions.

The visit brought together key elements of this process, including resettlement, education, energy security, industrial development, and private investment, all within a single day’s agenda.

The head of state first visited the Karkijahan settlement in Khankendi, where renovation works that began in May this year are gradually transforming the area into a livable community for returning residents. The settlement consists of dozens of apartment buildings and over a thousand individual houses, many of which suffered extensive damage during the years of occupation. Restoration efforts are now translating into concrete outcomes. Several dozen homes have already been fully renovated, enabling the first group of families to return to their ancestral lands after long years of displacement. Alongside housing, essential infrastructure has been restored, including water, gas, electricity, telecommunications, street lighting, and internal roads, reinforcing the principle that resettlement must be accompanied by dignified living conditions.

Renovation of the settlement began in May this year and covers 33 apartment buildings and 1,037 individual houses. Of these, 247 houses were deemed uninhabitable and 790 partially habitable. By the end of this year, 40 houses are planned to be repaired, with a further 280 scheduled for renovation in 2026. So far, renovation has been completed in 30 houses, enabling the return of 30 families, comprising 115 residents, to their ancestral homes after years of displacement.

Social infrastructure featured prominently during the visit. President Aliyev attended the opening of the newly renovated Secondary School No. 1 in Karkijahan, a modern educational facility designed to serve hundreds of students. Equipped with laboratories, STEAM and IT rooms, sports facilities, and spaces for extracurricular activities, the school reflects a broader policy emphasis on rebuilding education systems in liberated areas as a foundation for sustainable return and long-term development.

Higher education also stood at the center of the visit. The president laid the foundation stone for the Engineering Faculty building of Garabagh University and attended the opening of the new Faculty of Business and Economics building. These developments are shaping Garabagh University into a full-fledged academic hub, aimed at training specialists in engineering, economics, management, and technology. With modern campuses, research facilities, and innovation-oriented curricula, the university is positioned not only as an educational institution but also as a driver of human capital formation for the region’s economic revival.

Energy security, a prerequisite for both social life and industrial activity, was another major focus. The President attended the opening of the 110/35/10 kV Khankendi-1 substation, the first closed-type 110 kV substation in the liberated territories. Built in line with urban grid standards, the facility ensures an uninterrupted electricity supply to Khankendi, as well as the Aghdara, Khojaly, and Khojavend districts. Over the past five years, approximately 1,000 kilometers of high-voltage transmission lines and 12 substations have been constructed across Garabagh and East Zangazur, forming a ring-type power supply network and marking the largest modernization of the region’s power system to date.

The visit also reflected the growing role of private investment and industrial activity in the liberated territories. In the Khojaly district, President Aliyev attended the opening of an office furniture and accessories production facility, an enterprise equipped with advanced foreign technologies and oriented toward both domestic and export markets. The project has already created permanent jobs and is expected to expand employment further in subsequent stages, benefiting from state incentives designed to encourage entrepreneurship in Garabagh.

The economic dimension of reconstruction was reflected in multiple industrial openings. In the Khojaly district, President Aliyev attended the opening of an office furniture and accessories production facility owned by Accurate Az LLC. The enterprise, valued at 20 million manats [approximately 11.8 million USD], is expected to produce 240,000 units of office furniture and four million accessories annually, with 60 percent of output destined for export. The facility has already created 80 permanent jobs, with plans to expand employment to 450 in later stages.

In Aghdam Industrial Park, the president opened a metal electric pole production facility with an annual capacity of 7,200 tons, employing 32 people, and laid the foundation stone for another furniture production enterprise with a projected investment of 8 million manats [around 4.7 million USD]. The Industrial Park itself now hosts 32 resident companies with total planned investments exceeding 312 million manats [about 183.5 million USD], nearly 970 permanent jobs, and production valued at 945 million manats [around 555.9 million USD], including exports worth 39.5 million manats [about 23.2 million USD].

Industrial development continued in Aghdam, where the president attended the opening of a metal electric pole production facility at the Aghdam Industrial Park and laid the foundation stone for a new furniture manufacturing enterprise. These projects illustrate the gradual emergence of Aghdam as an industrial center, supported by tax and customs incentives, preferential financing, and state-backed infrastructure. The industrial park has already attracted multiple investors, generating jobs for local residents and contributing to regional economic diversification.

Tourism and services were not left out of the day’s agenda. President Aliyev attended the opening of the Hilton Garden Inn Aghdam hotel, a large-scale hospitality project located near key transport and cultural facilities. The hotel adds a new dimension to Aghdam’s urban landscape, supporting both business activity and tourism while creating new employment opportunities. The 287-bed facility includes 127 rooms and has created 120 permanent jobs, reinforcing Aghdam’s re-emergence as a regional service and transport hub.

Taken together, the President’s visits present a cohesive picture of Garabagh’s transformation. Housing reconstruction, education, energy infrastructure, industry, and tourism are being developed in parallel, reinforcing one another. The emphasis on modern standards, institutional presence, and private sector participation signals that the restoration of Garabagh is not limited to physical rebuilding, but is aimed at establishing a sustainable socio-economic ecosystem capable of supporting long-term peace, return, and development.