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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the 6th Azerbaijan International Restoration, Reconstruction and Development of Garabagh Exhibition – “Rebuild Garabagh.”

AzerNEWS presents the address:

"Dear exhibition participants,

I sincerely wecome you on the occasion of the opening of the 6th Azerbaijan International Restoration, Reconstruction and Development of Garabagh Exhibition – “Rebuild Garabagh” and wish all participants every success.

The Victory achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War laid the foundation for a new phase of construction and development in Garabagh and East Zangazur. Under the First State Program on the Great Return, our towns and villages are being rebuilt, with the safe return of our compatriots to their native lands being ensured. Azerbaijan is carrying out this work using its own financial resources. To date, 25.5 billion manats have been allocated from the state budget for restoration and reconstruction.

To ensure the safe implementation of the Great Return, more than 300,000 hectares of land have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance, and over 40,000 people have returned to 47 residential settlements. Currently, nearly 100,000 people live, study and work in the liberated territories.

The transport infrastructure developed in Garabagh and East Zangazur connects residential settlements with one another and integrates them into the country’s unified economic space. To date, nearly 1,500 kilometers of roads have been constructed, and the 11.7-kilometer Murovdag tunnel stands as an important example of engineering in complex mountainous terrain. Fuzuli, Zangilan and Lachin international airports have been commissioned, while railway construction continues. As an essential part of the Zangezur corridor, the Horadiz–Aghband railway is of strategic importance for expanding Azerbaijan’s international transport and logistics links.

Energy and water supply infrastructure is also being developed to serve new residential settlements and production facilities. In the region, one new reservoir has been built and five have been restored, while 13 substations and 38 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 307 megawatts have been commissioned. Developing Garabagh and East Zangazur as a “green energy zone” is one of the key priorities in building this infrastructure.

Infrastructure development is accompanied by the provision of modern social services in residential settlements. Forty educational institutions and 20 healthcare facilities, as well as Garabagh University in Khankendi, have commenced operations in the region. The coverage of government, banking, postal and telecommunications services is also expanding. The administrative centers built and commissioned in Lachin, Zangilan, Fuzuli and Aghdam enable the provision of social security, employment and other services to residents under one roof.

Infrastructure development is complemented by efforts to restore the historical and cultural identity of Garabagh and East Zangazur. The restoration of historical, cultural and religious monuments destroyed or damaged during the occupation, together with the development of modern tourism infrastructure, helps preserve the region’s rich heritage, revive its cultural and spiritual life, and realize its tourism potential.

The revitalization of the region also involves addressing the environmental consequences of the occupation. During the occupation, 54,300 hectares of forestland were destroyed, and land and water resources were polluted. To date, 600 hectares of forestland have been restored. The restoration of forests and aquatic ecosystems, along with the application of climate-resilient construction solutions, is particularly important for the region’s long-term development.

The main objective of the second phase of the State Program on the Great Return is to further expand private investment, permanent employment and export-oriented production by building on the opportunities already created, and to strengthen the position of Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur as a new growth centre in the national economy. The advanced urban planning and engineering solutions applied in the region offer experience that can be used internationally, alongside that gained in other parts of Azerbaijan.

In this regard, the successful hosting of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku in 2026, organized by the UN Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), helped showcase our country’s achievements in urban planning internationally and strengthen its role in global dialogue.

The “Rebuild Garabagh” and “BakuBuild” exhibitions, held as part of Caspian Construction Week, provide broad opportunities to share this experience, showcase new technologies and establish business partnerships. I am confident that these partnerships will translate into concrete projects and make a significant contribution to the Great Return and the region’s long-term development.

I wish the exhibition every success and each of you further achievements in your work."