Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has laid the foundations for more than 180 projects in Garabagh, MP Vugar Bayramov said during today's plenary session of the Azerbaijani Parliament, Report informs.
Bayramov noted that following Azerbaijan's victory in 2020, the country had launched large-scale restoration and reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories.
"Our areas that were completely destroyed and reduced to ruins during the occupation are now being restored and rebuilt. Naturally, the initial focus has been on developing transport, social and other infrastructure, while simultaneously carrying out resettlement efforts. Over the past period, nearly 26 billion manats has been allocated from the state budget specifically for the liberated territories. The implementation of transport, logistics and other infrastructure projects is already bringing life back to Garabagh and East Zangazur," he said.
"Since the victory, 64 highways with a combined length of 3,720 kilometers have been constructed in the liberated territories. So far, 17 of these roads, with a total length of 1,400 kilometres, have been fully completed and reconstructed. In addition, three strategically important international airports have been commissioned.
Against this backdrop, we are also witnessing an intensive resettlement process. Nearly 100,000 Azerbaijani citizens currently live, study and work in the liberated territories. As of November 1, a total of 41,213 former internally displaced persons (IDPs) had been resettled in these areas. The largest number of returnees has been recorded in the Aghdam district, where 8,300 former IDPs now live. In the Jabrayil district, the figure stands at 7,112," the MP added.
According to Bayramov, the development of infrastructure will make it possible to further accelerate the resettlement process in the coming months and years.
"Naturally, every former internally displaced person will be offered a home in their ancestral homeland, and no one will be left out of this process. This is the political will of the esteemed President. We are already witnessing an intensive resettlement process in line with this policy.
During this period, the President has visited the liberated territories more than 600 times. During these visits and related events, the head of state has laid the foundations for more than 180 projects and attended the opening ceremonies of over 170 facilities.
All this demonstrates that the restoration of the liberated territories and the resettlement process remain directly under the President's personal attention. This attention and political will will help accelerate resettlement and enable former IDPs to return to their ancestral homes sooner," Bayramov said.