Azernews.Az

By Sabina Mammadli

Representatives of the world's leading think tanks, who are visiting liberated Karabakh, have familiarized themselves with the Fuzuli International Airport.

The officials, who will take part in the international conference "South Caucasus Development & Cooperation" in Shusha, arrived at the airport on the Aghdam plane.

During the visit, they were informed that the airport was built in a short time in accordance with the highest international standards.

Further, the officials got acquainted with the demining process in Karabakh.

Before leaving for the city of Shusha, the delegation members familiarized themselves with the work of Azerbaijan’s Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) in lands liberated from Armenian occupation.

It was noted that the mine maps provided by Armenia to Azerbaijan are only 25 percent accurate, complicating the demining process.

In addition, guests were able to directly observe the process of clearing mines in one of the areas.

Presidential aide Hikmat Hajiyev earlier wrote on his Twitter page that Shusha will hold an international conference on "South Caucasus Development & Cooperation".

"We are flying on the 'Aghdam' plane to the newly built airport in Fuzuli to visit Shusha in order to hold an international conference 'Development and Cooperation in the South Caucasus' with international think tanks under Shusha Majlis Discussion format. Shusha has already become the diplomatic capital of the region,” Hajiyev noted.

Shusha, which was occupied by Armenian forces on May 8, 1992, was liberated from Armenia's occupation on November 8, 2020. The city, which played a critical role in liberating Karabakh, is located on the road to Khankandi, the region's largest city.

President Ilham Aliyev declared 2022 as the "Year of Shusha". Considering the historical and cultural significance of the second capital for the Azerbaijani nation, this is a big step in the promotion of our country.

The declaration of 2022 as the "Year of Shusha" will provide new opportunities to demonstrate Azerbaijan's determination in restoring liberated territories, according to officials.

Following the liberation of Shusha, the Azerbaijani government prioritized restoration work, including the restoration and preservation of the city's historical and cultural heritage.

The Shusha General Plan was completed quickly, the bust of the great poet Molla Panah Vagif and the museum-mausoleum complex were restored to their original state, the house-museum of vocalist Bulbul and the statue of composer Uzeyir Hajibayli were opened, historical, religious, and architectural monuments, music festivals, and the organization of the Vagif Poetry Days in front of the magnificent mausoleum were also restored.

President Aliyev declared the historic Shusha city the country's cultural capital on May 7, 2021. An immediate inventory of the damage to the city, its historical and cultural heritage, and its natural environment was completed, and restoration work began. Shusha's public administration was given special attention in order to ensure the efficiency of restoration work. In the city, the Azerbaijani president's special envoy was appointed.

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