Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

Azerbaijani President visited the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic on April 7.

As part of the visit, President Aliyev officially inaugurated a new administrative building at the airport, which has 53 offices, conference halls and foreign language rooms.

The air terminal will have the capacity to handle nearly 500 passengers per hour.

President Aliyev also viewed the new vehicles and equipment purchased as part of the measures to modernize transport infrastructure and improve security at the Nakhchivan International Airport.

He also visited a monument to National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the Nakhchivan city and laid flowers at the monument.

The Head of State then visited the Nakhchivan Business Center, which targets to enlighten entrepreneurs, and keep businessmen updated about the economic reforms carried out in Azerbaijan and Nakhchivan, international economic relations, and developments and changes in the world financial system.

The Head of State viewed an exhibition of goods produced in Nakhchivan, and Talibov briefed him about 346 types and 988 ranges of goods produced in the autonomous republic. He also noted that some 438 industrial companies were operating here.

The President was informed that the macroeconomic indexes of Nakhchivan had grown up in past 10 years. Gross domestic product increased 8.4 times, the volume of industrial output increased 49 times, agricultural production increased 4.7 times, and investments made in fixed capital increased 4.1 times, while people's income grew 10.2 times and foreign trade grew 13.9 times in 2003-2013.

President Aliyev was informed that the exhibition featured over 280 ranges of goods produced by 88 companies. The goods produced in Nakhchivan had been exported not only to the South Caucasus and CIS regions, but also to the global market.

President Aliyev viewed Nazlifan cars which are produced in Nakhchivan and were put into operation in January 2010. About 3,000 cars had already been produced at the plant which employs 62 people.

The Head of State was informed that 954 production and service enterprises had been established in Nakhchivan in the last 10 years. Some 54,460 job opportunities were created in Nakhchivan in 2003-2013, and unemployment was eradicated.

As part of the visit, the Azerbaijani President visited the newly established Nakhchivangala History and Architecture Museum Complex.

President Aliyev toured the complex which features exhibits belonging to the 5th century BC.

Later, President Aliyev attended the opening of the Youth Center.

The center has a computer room, an e-library, intellectual and table games halls, an interactive shooting gallery, and a cafe. The Head of State watched Khamsa intellectual game at the Center.

As part of the trip, President Aliyev viewed the new equipment and weapons delivered for a military unit in Nakhchivan.

Lieutenant-general Karam Mustafayev, the Chief of the Nakhchivan garrison, reported to the Supreme Commander-in-Chief, informing him about the new weapons and equipment.

The Azerbaijani President also attended the opening of a new administrative building at the Office of the Military Prosecutor of Nakhchivan, and cut the ribbon symbolizing the opening of the facility.

As part of the visit, President Aliyev attended the inauguration ceremony of the 88.8-km Nakhchivan-Shahbuz-Batabat highway with several bridges on, and viewed the stands reflecting the technical and economic indicators of the road. The Head of State then tested the highway by driving a car.

The 164-km highway and 21 bridges were built in Nakhchivan in 2013. Some 12 bridges were reconstructed in the Autonomous Republic.

Later, President Aliyev attended a ceremony to inaugurate Nakhchivan City Water Reservoir and Water Purification Facilities Complex.

President Aliyev was told that the newly installed modern complex with three water reservoirs with the total capacity of 25,000 cubic meters was capable of supplying water to up to 90,000 people in Nakhchivan. The state-of-art complex included a water purification facility, an administrative building, and a water reservoir, and launched the water purification facility afterwards.

President Aliyev was also informed about the facility with a Nano-filter.

After viewing the complex, President Aliyev inspected works on the reconstruction of the drinking water supply and sewerage system, and was informed that the 218-km drinking water and 200-km sewerage system lines were laid to provide nearly 19,000 houses with drinking water.

The reconstruction of drinking water and sewerage system is expected to be completed in 2014.

The Azerbaijani President also attended the opening of the remodeled Kangarli District Central Hospital, and Arpachay-1 and Arpachay-2 hydro power stations in Nakhchivan.

On April 8, President Aliyev attended a solemn ceremony marking the 90th anniversary of Nakhchivan at the Heydar Aliyev Palace in the Nakhchivan city. The ceremony brought together Nakhchivan government officials, scholars, culture and art figures, representatives of the diplomatic corps in Azerbaijan and members of Nakhchivan's general public.

President Aliyev made a speech at the ceremony.

The Head of State handed orders, medals and honorary title diplomas to a group of the Nakhchivani intellectuals, who he had awarded last week for their contribution to socio-economic development of the Autonomous Republic.

The ceremony featured a concert, which was followed by a reception marking the 90th anniversary of Nakhchivan.

The Autonomous Republic of Nakhchivan, which is an Azerbaijani exclave situated on Iran's border with 410,000 Azerbaijani inhabitants, has been blocked by Armenia since almost 25 years ago.