BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 14. President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of
the 6th Azerbaijan International Restoration, Reconstruction and
Development of Garabagh Exhibition – “Rebuild Garabagh.”


The text of the address was published on the official website of
the President of Azerbaijan.


"Dear exhibition participants,


I sincerely wecome you on the occasion of the opening of the 6th
Azerbaijan International Restoration, Reconstruction and
Development of Garabagh Exhibition – “Rebuild Garabagh” and wish
all participants every success.


The Victory achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War laid the
foundation for a new phase of construction and development in
Garabagh and East Zangazur. Under the First State Program on the
Great Return, our towns and villages are being rebuilt, with the
safe return of our compatriots to their native lands being ensured.
Azerbaijan is carrying out this work using its own financial
resources. 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
300,000 hectares of land have been cleared of mines and unexploded
ordnance, and over 40,000 people have returned to 47 residential
settlements. Currently, nearly 100,000 people live, study and work
in the liberated territories.


The transport infrastructure developed in Garabagh and East
Zangazur connects residential settlements with one another and
integrates them into the country’s unified economic space. To date,
nearly 1,500 kilometers of roads have been constructed, and the
11.7-kilometer Murovdag tunnel stands as an important example of
engineering in complex mountainous terrain. Fuzuli, Zangilan and
Lachin international airports have been commissioned, while railway
construction continues. As an essential part of the Zangezur
corridor, the Horadiz–Aghband railway is of strategic importance
for expanding Azerbaijan’s international transport and logistics
links.


Energy and water supply infrastructure is also being developed
to serve new residential settlements and production facilities. In
the region, one new reservoir has been built and five have been
restored, while 13 substations and 38 hydroelectric power plants
with a total capacity of 307 megawatts have been commissioned.
Developing Garabagh and East Zangazur as a “green energy zone” is
one of the key priorities in building this infrastructure.


Infrastructure development is accompanied by the provision of
modern social services in residential settlements. Forty
educational institutions and 20 healthcare facilities, as well as
Garabagh University in Khankendi, have commenced operations in the
region. The coverage of government, banking, postal and
telecommunications services is also expanding. The administrative
centers built and commissioned in Lachin, Zangilan, Fuzuli and
Aghdam enable the provision of social security, employment and
other services to residents under one roof.


Infrastructure development is complemented by efforts to restore
the historical and cultural identity of Garabagh and East Zangazur.
The restoration of historical, cultural and religious monuments
destroyed or damaged during the occupation, together with the
development of modern tourism infrastructure, helps preserve the
region’s rich heritage, revive its cultural and spiritual life, and
realize its tourism potential.


The revitalization of the region also involves addressing the
environmental consequences of the occupation. During the
occupation, 54,300 hectares of forestland were destroyed, and land
and water resources were polluted. To date, 600 hectares of
forestland have been restored. The restoration of forests and
aquatic ecosystems, along with the application of climate-resilient
construction solutions, is particularly important for the region’s
long-term development.


The main objective of the second phase of the State Program on
the Great Return is to further expand private investment, permanent
employment and export-oriented production by building on the
opportunities already created, and to strengthen the position of
Garabagh and Eastern Zangazur as a new growth centre in the
national economy. The advanced urban planning and engineering
solutions applied in the region offer experience that can be used
internationally, alongside that gained in other parts of
Azerbaijan.


In this regard, the successful hosting of the 13th session of
the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku in 2026, organized by the UN
Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat), helped showcase our
country’s achievements in urban planning internationally and
strengthen its role in global dialogue.


The “Rebuild Garabagh” and “BakuBuild” exhibitions, held as part
of Caspian Construction Week, provide broad opportunities to share
this experience, showcase new technologies and establish business
partnerships. I am confident that these partnerships will translate
into concrete projects and make a significant contribution to the
Great Return and the region’s long-term development.


I wish the exhibition every success and each of you further
achievements in your work," the address reads.