President Aliyev invites WB for cooperation to rehabilitate Karabakh [UPDATE]
![President Aliyev invites WB for cooperation to rehabilitate Karabakh [UPDATE]](https://www.azernews.az/media/2021/04/01/president_wb_010421.jpg)
By Ayya Lmahamad
President Ilham Aliyev has invited the World Bank for cooperation to rehabilitate Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenia's occupation in a 44-day war in 2020.
He made the remarks at a meeting with World Bank Regional Director Sebastian Molineus in Baku on April 1.
“There is a great need for infrastructure development there because the entire infrastructure has been destroyed, and in order to bring people back, we must, of course, clear mines and then rebuild everything. It will not be possible to return IDPs and refugees without infrastructure projects. Therefore, we rely on cooperation with the World Bank in these matters as well,” the president stated.
The president emphasized that so far Azerbaijan in cooperation with the World Bank implemented 47 projects, some of which are still underway. He noted that the total package of those projects is worth about $4 billion.
Aliyev thanked the bank for the support of very important infrastructure areas in the country.
“I would also like to thank you for your support in financing TANAP. This has been very important both financially and in terms of giving a certain signal to other financial institutions. I am very glad that the project has already been launched. The Southern Gas Corridor has been in operation for exactly three months, and this is only a beginning,” he said.
Touching upon the Doing Business program, the president underlined that Azerbaijan has improved its position in the program and ranked 28th among 191 countries.
At the meeting, Molineus introduced a new Country Manager for Azerbaijan Sarah Michael.
He stressed the importance of economic processes taking place in Azerbaijan and cooperation with the country and praised the Azerbaijani president's reform policy.
The parties exchanged views on the continuation of relations in strategic areas and successful cooperation between the World Bank and Azerbaijan.
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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad
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