President Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the 6th Azerbaijan International Exhibition “Restoration, Reconstruction, and Development of Karabakh” – “Rebuild Garabagh”.
elchi reports that the address stated:
“Dear participants of the event!
I sincerely congratulate you on the opening of the 6th Azerbaijan International Exhibition “Restoration, Reconstruction, and Development of Karabakh” – “Rebuild Garabagh”, and I wish success to all participants of the event.
The Victory achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War has laid the foundation for a new stage of construction and development for Karabakh and East Zangezur. Within the framework of the “I State Program on Great Return”, our cities and villages are being rebuilt, and the safe return of our compatriots to their native lands is ensured. Azerbaijan is carrying out these works with its own financial capabilities. 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 thousand hectares of land have been cleared of mines and explosive ordnance, and over 40 thousand people have returned to 47 settlements. Currently, about 100 thousand people live, study, and work in the liberated territories.
The transport infrastructure built in Karabakh and East Zangezur connects settlements with each other and with the country’s unified economic space. To date, nearly 1500 kilometers of roads have been built, and the 11.7-kilometer Murovdağ tunnel has become a significant engineering example of construction work carried out in complex mountainous conditions worldwide. Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Lachin international airports have been commissioned. The construction of railways is ongoing. The Horadiz–Aghband railway line, as a crucial part of the Zangezur corridor, holds strategic importance in expanding Azerbaijan’s international transport and logistics connections.
Energy and water supply are also being created for the operation of new settlements and production facilities. 1 new reservoir has been built and 5 reservoirs have been restored in the region, and 13 substations and 38 hydroelectric power stations with a total capacity of 307 megawatts have been put into operation. The development of Karabakh and East Zangezur as a “green energy zone” is one of the main directions in building this infrastructure.
The development of infrastructure is accompanied by the organization of modern social services in settlements. 40 educational and 20 healthcare facilities, as well as Karabakh University in Khankendi, have started operating in the region. The coverage of state, banking, postal, and communication services is also expanding. Administrative centers built and commissioned in Lachin, Zangilan, Fuzuli, and Aghdam allow for the prompt provision of services in social security, employment, and other areas to the population in a unified space.
Infrastructure construction is complemented by the restoration of the historical and cultural image of Karabakh and East Zangezur. The restoration of historical, cultural, and religious monuments destroyed and damaged during the occupation, and the creation of modern tourism infrastructure serve to preserve the region’s rich heritage, revive its cultural and spiritual life, and realize its tourism potential.
The region’s revival also includes overcoming the ecological consequences of the occupation. During the occupation, 54.3 thousand hectares of forest area were destroyed, and land and water resources were polluted. To date, 600 hectares of forest fund have been restored. This is because the restoration of forests and water ecosystems, and the application of construction solutions resistant to the impacts of climate change, are of particular importance for the long-term development of the region.
The main goal of the next second phase of the State Program on Great Return is to further expand private investments, permanent employment, and export-oriented production based on the created opportunities, and to strengthen the position of Karabakh and East Zangezur as a new growth center in the country’s economy. The advanced urban planning and engineering solutions applied in the region create experience that can be used not only in other regions of Azerbaijan but also internationally.
In this regard, the successful holding of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku in 2026, organized by the UN Human Settlements Programme, has served to present the achievements of our country in urban planning at an international level and to strengthen its position in global dialogue.
The “Rebuild Garabagh” and “BakuBuild” exhibitions, held within the framework of “Caspian Construction Week”, create broad opportunities for sharing this experience, presenting new technologies, and establishing business partnerships. I am confident that these partnerships will also be reflected in concrete projects, making a significant contribution to the Great Return and the long-term development of the region.
I wish success to the work of the exhibition and new achievements in your activities to each of you.”