Azernews.Az

By Sabina Mammadli

An employment program for Azerbaijan’s former IDPs, who will return to the liberated lands, should be worked out, Special Representative of the Azerbaijani President in Shusha District Aydin Karimov said.

He made the remarks at the Azerbaijan National Urban Development Forum on "Sustainable Development Goals and the New Urban Agenda as a Leading Force for Post-Conflict Recovery and Reconstruction".

Karimov noted that there are two tasks ahead: to build infrastructure and a more difficult one - to provide jobs for IDPs.

He noted that it is planned to return up to 2,500 people to Shusha city by the end of 2023.

"We must already now prepare jobs for these people. Criteria of working out the employment program should be determined," he added.

Similarly, UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Azerbaijan Guido Ambroso stated that the UN supports Azerbaijan's aspiration to return former internally displaced persons to their liberated territories.

According to him, this is a successful and sustainable decision.

"The Azerbaijani government is facing huge tasks in terms of construction and reconstruction, mine-clearance, as well as the creation of urban centers that are attractive to all social groups, as a long-term solution, within the framework of the Great Return program," Ambroso said.

Azerbaijan President Ilham Aliyev approved amendments to the law "On the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022" on July 4.

Under the presidential decree, Azerbaijan allocated an additional AZN470 million ($276.47 million) for the reconstruction and restoration of the liberated territories in 2022.

Earlier, the law "On the state budget of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2022" envisaged the allocation of AZN2.2 billion ($1.29 billion) for the reconstruction activities in Karabakh.

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Sabina Mammadli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @SabinaMmdl

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