Azerbaijan turns into reality its ambitious plan to repopulate Karabakh People come back to dear lands in Fuzuli

For the third year already, Azerbaijan has been implementing large-scale projects to restore transport, energy and communal infrastructure and building industrial clusters within the framework of the programme for the revival of the country's territories liberated from occupation. Preparations for the reception of former IDPs are in full swing in the Shusha, Zangilan, Lachin, and Aghdam districts, and now these works are being hotted up in the Fuzuli district.

On October 17, as part of the Fuzuli City Day, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev attended the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of residential complexes, and social and administrative facilities of the city and kicked off the construction of several villages in the Fuzuli district. By the end of 2026, it is planned to provide accommodation for 22 thousand people here.

According to the provisions of the I State Programme "Great Return to the Liberated Territories of Azerbaijan", necessary conditions for the relocation of about 35 thousand families should be created in Karabakh and East Zangezur economic districts by 2027.

To this end, over the past three years, work has been carried out here on the establishment of primary transport, energy and communal infrastructure: dozens of kilometres of modern roads have been laid, high-voltage power lines and substations have been built, work has begun on gas and water supply, base stations for cellular communication and the internet have been restored, petrol stations have been built, and much more has been done.

Within the framework of the next stage of the region's reconstruction, the vector of construction works is aimed at building housing, as well as social, administrative and commercial facilities, formation of agrarian-industrial clusters so that Azerbaijani citizens who were forced to leave their native places many years ago could return to their fatherland sooner and be provided with jobs and necessary social and public services, have access to education, medical care and others. Since the beginning of this year, such projects have been actively implemented in Aghdam, Shusha, towns and villages of Lachin and Zangilan districts.

The Fuzuli district plays an important role in the revival and socio-economic development of the territories liberated from occupation: in October 2021, the first international airport in the region was put into operation here, the most important highways Ahmadbayli-Fuzuli-Shusha, Fuzuli-Hadrut and new high-voltage power lines were laid, and in May this year, such significant facilities as Fuzuli digital 110/35/10-kilovolt substation and Azerishig control centre were put into operation.

As it is known, the Armenian occupation authorities created several fortified areas with the highest density of minefields in the Fuzuli district. Clearing these dangerous areas of mines and unexploded ordnance is quite difficult and takes considerable time.

Nevertheless, it is planned to secure an area of over 2,600 hectares in the near future. The main thing is that in parallel with demining works in the villages of Dovlatyarli, Dedeli and Pirahmadli of Fuzuli district, preparations for construction works started this year and similar projects are planned for seven more villages, which will be restored by 2026. In March this year, the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan adopted a resolution on approval of the master plan of Fuzuli town development until 2040.

In general, in the next three years it is planned to build about 2,330 flats in apartment buildings in the administrative centre of Fuzuli district, and 3,350 private houses will be built in the surrounding villages. The construction of a central hospital will also begin soon in Fuzuli, and the Ministry of Education will start building a vocational school.

The process of revitalising the Fuzuli district and preparing its settlements for the return of former IDPs has been further accelerated recently. "According to the results of the implementation of the first stage of our State Programme 'Great Return', at the end of 2026, a total of 22 thousand people will live in Fuzuli district, and 140 thousand people in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur as a whole," President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting held the day before with the residents who resettled in the administrative centre of the district and representatives of the public within the framework of the Fuzuli City Day.

"And these are the minimum indicators, I am sure that more people will settle here, because, firstly, we have opportunities, we have will, the State Programme 'Great Return' has been adopted and it is being successfully implemented. And the main factor is that our former IDPs are looking forward to these days," Aliyev added.

The head of state stressed that the city of Fuzuli has its own employment opportunities, and the citizens who will be resettled in rural areas will take up jobs in traditional sectors, and the state on its part will help them by implementing a self-employment programme.

"Today, Fuzuli is being completely rebuilt. Being here the day before, we gave a start to construction of several important objects: foundations of two villages, kindergarten, sports complex, new residential quarters, administrative centre have been laid," President Ilham Aliyev noted.

"International organisations highly appreciate the projects implemented today in Fuzuli and other towns and villages in the liberated territories: new rules of urban development have been established here, excellent living conditions have been created, everything has been respected - the internal structure of buildings, the design of flats, the principle of number of storeys, the distance between buildings, i.e. all infrastructure, all conditions for comfortable life," he added.

In particular, the second and third residential centres are laid in the administrative centre of the district: here multi-storey buildings for 1,516 flats will be built on a total of 21 hectares. Heat-intensive natural materials will be used in the construction of housing, car parks, and playgrounds for children, centralised boiler systems will be created in the courtyards, and the most modern communal infrastructure will be introduced. Also in the central part of the city on a plot of over 12 hectares, the construction of an administrative building has been started and a square for holding solemn events and parades is being equipped.

The head of state also took part in the ceremony of laying the foundation stone of a 17-hectare sports complex that will house a multipurpose hall with a 200-seat grandstand for basketball, volleyball, handball, badminton, mini-football, a swimming pool and other facilities for sports and recreation. On the same day, the construction of a kindergarten for 240 children was launched. The head of state also took part in laying the foundation stone of two villages of Fuzuli district - Juvarli and Gochahmadli.

Speaking at an event dedicated to the Day of Fuzuli town, the Azerbaijani President expressed confidence that in the near future, Karabakh will become a driving force for the development of agriculture and industry, and will make a great contribution to the overall socio-economic development of the country.

"During the occupation, some foreign circles believed that over the years the Azerbaijani people would forget their lands and the young generation would be brought up differently altogether. I am glad that the young generation of Fuzuli decided to come to their native land. This is a really big event, because children, teenagers, young generation have not seen these lands, it shows the greatness of our people, shows that we are a nation attached to our native land," the head of state emphasised.