BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. The top priority in
recovery and reconstruction efforts in the liberated territories is
ensuring a sustainable return, Azerbaijan's Minister of Economy
Mikayil Jabbarov said, Trend reports.


He made the remark at the event “Cities at the Center of
Connectivity: Urban Reconstruction and Regional Cooperation, held
as part of WUF13.


The minister noted that one of the key issues in the economic
planning of the Great Return was correctly determining the sequence
of job creation and economic activity.


According to him, the goal was to ensure the fastest possible
return of people who had lived far from their native lands for many
decades:


“To this end, an individual approach was applied in each city in
the liberated territories, and state policy was aimed at developing
sectors of activity in accordance with the economic potential of
these territories. One of the main challenges was the parallel and
prompt execution of work. To this end, broad legislative measures
were implemented to stimulate economic activity, including tax
incentives, preferential loans, and the creation of industrial
parks.”


According to Jabbarov, connectivity is at the heart of all these
processes.


He noted that preparing three airports, roads, bridges, and
digital infrastructure ahead of people’s return has been one of the
key factors accelerating and improving the quality of the Great
Return process.

The minister added that Azerbaijan’s investments in connectivity
extend not only to the country’s domestic territory but also to
access to international markets.







“The concept of a university town that has taken shape around
the Garabagh University in Khankendi represents a model—the first
of its kind in the history of modern Azerbaijan—based on building
economic activity on an academic foundation. In cities such as
Ganja, Nakhchivan, and Sheki, an approach is also being applied
that focuses on developing regions where traditional knowledge and
human capital are strong,” the minister added.


Meanwhile, the third day of the 13th session of the World Urban
Forum (WUF13) is underway in Baku.


On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New
Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and
civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban
well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the
United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework
of the forum.


The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever
Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing
crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that
day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated
within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an
important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin
American region and preparing for WUF14.


WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered
participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held
under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and
communities,” the forum brings together governments, international
organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to
strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban
development.