Alessandro Bianchi: Scale of destruction in Azerbaijan's liberated areas is horrendous

The scale of the destruction in Azerbaijan's liberated areas is horrendous, advisor to an EU-funded project Alessandro Bianchi said at an international scientific conference entitled "Architectural Heritage of Karabakh and East Zangazur. Problems of restoration, protection and use."

According to him, during Armenia's occupation, about 10,000 sq. km were utterly destroyed, and historical monuments were damaged:

“The population was also forcibly expelled from these areas. At the same time, during the occupation, these people could not make any contact with those areas. The challenge facing Azerbaijan after the war is very complex. This restoration does not only mean the repair of existing structures. It is also the implementation of a new employment program. Returning the population there is also a very difficult process. This does not only mean the restoration of infrastructure. It also means high-quality urban planning. This means completely closing the gap between the people who lived there in the past and those who will live there.”

Bianchi stressed the scale of the destruction in the liberated areas.