Azerbaijan to resettle over 800 families in Fuzuli by late 2023 President’s special representative says

Special Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the liberated territories of the Karabakh Economic Region (except Shusha district) Emin Huseynov has said that Azerbaijan regularly receives proposals from various countries for cooperation in construction and restoration work in the territories liberated from occupation.

“The proposals on various ‘smart’ solutions are made not only at the state level but even by the companies representing individual countries. Of course, all proposals are considered in the appropriate order. The projects can be implemented in case of ensuring economic, environmental and energy efficiency,” Huseynov told Azertac.

He noted that people are gradually returning to the liberated lands. In this context, Lachin City, Zabukh Village and Fuzuli City can be noted. This process will continue in the future as families have not fully resettled in these settlements.

“Some 70 families currently live in Fuzuli. Around 74 more families intend to move to the city on September 7, 11 and 15. Thus, the number of families living in Fuzuli will reach 144. Some 260 families are planned to be resettled in Fuzuli till late September, while 846 families will be gradually resettled till the end of the year,” the special representative added.

On August 9, another convoy was sent from the Gobu Park 3 residential complex in the Garadagh district of Baku. 23 more families, totalling 93 people, were resettled in Lachin. Thus, 203 families, totalling 793 people, are permanently residing in Lachin city.

On August 18, 23 families were resettled in Fuzuli City as part of the Great Return program implemented by the Azerbaijani government.

Azerbaijan started the return of former internally displaced persons to the liberated lands in July 2022. Since then, 96 families have been brought back to the Aghali village of the Zangilan district.

In March of this year, 20 families comprising 90 people resettled in Talish, Tartar district. By the end of 2023, the Sus and Zabukh villages of Lachin will also welcome their residents back.

The government of Azerbaijan plans to resettle 2,000 families or 10,000 people in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions by the end of 2023.

According to a decree signed in November 2022 by President Aliyev approving the "First State program on the Great Return to Azerbaijan's liberated territories”, a total of 280,000 hectares (692,000 acres) of lands in the Karabakh and East Zangazur regions will be readied for resettlement by 2026.

By 2026, a total of 34,500 families will be relocated to the Karabakh and East Zangazur regions. To accommodate them, 34,500 apartments and private houses will be built by 2026.