Azerbaijani president highlights reconstruction, heritage preservation at WUF13 in Baku UPDATED

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev highlighted the country’s large-scale urban development efforts, reconstruction projects in Garabagh and East Zangazur, and the preservation of Azerbaijan’s historical heritage during his speech at the opening ceremony of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) in Baku.

Addressing participants of the global gathering, the head of state described the reconstruction of the liberated territories as one of the government’s key priorities, Caliber.Az reports, citing state media.

“One of the main tasks for our government now is the reconstruction of Garabagh and East Zangezur, an area which had been under Armenian occupation for 30 years, and which suffered total destruction and devastation,” President  Aliyev said.

The president pointed to the scale of destruction in the liberated territories, particularly in Aghdam.

“International observers and visitors compared, for instance, Aghdam with Hiroshima. They called it the Hiroshima of the Caucasus because this city just did not exist. It was totally leveled to the ground, and unlike Hiroshima, it was done not in one day as a result of an atomic bomb, but it was done during 30 years of occupation, when the buildings—historical buildings, public buildings, and houses—were just dismantled and completely destroyed.”

Aliyev also stressed the importance of international cooperation and exchange of expertise in the field of urban development.

“In many parts of Azerbaijan, the urban development goes very rapidly, and definitely this important gathering and the expertise of our friends from the United Nations and the numerous guests who visit us will help all of us to learn more, to learn from each other, to learn from positive experiences, and also to talk about our mistakes,” Aliyev stressed.

Speaking about Baku’s transformation, the Azerbaijani leader highlighted examples of modern urban planning and environmental rehabilitation projects implemented in the capital over the past two decades.

“Baku was the first city in the world where oil was produced back in 1846. And throughout these 180 years, there was almost no attention to environmental protection. As a result, Baku was heavily polluted. If I mention areas of Baku such as Black City, Bibiheybat, and Boyukshor—which may not mean much to foreign visitors—if you compare how these places looked 20 years ago with how they look today, you will see what has been achieved in creating an environmentally friendly urban space in Baku,” Aliyev said.

The president further pointed to the redevelopment of the “Black City” area, which has been transformed into a modern urban district.

Recalling that the area was previously called “Black City” due to pollution, the head of state said: “Now we have created the White City — an example of modern urban planning.”

Aliyev also drew attention to another major urban development initiative, recommending it as an example of Azerbaijan’s modern transformation.

President Ilham Aliyev highlighted “Sea Breeze” as another example of urban development and recommended that guests visit the seaside location.

The Azerbaijani president further underlined the importance of preserving the country’s rich cultural and architectural heritage for future generations.

“We are proud of our ancient history, which is reflected not only in our music, poems but also in architecture,” Aliyev said.

“Our duty is to preserve it for the next generation, and the next generation will do the same,” the head of state added.

During his address, Aliyev also spoke about Azerbaijan’s ancient cities and historical landmarks, emphasizing their role in the country’s cultural identity.

“Ganja, one of the oldest cities in the world, the birthplace of another great Azerbaijani poet of the 12th century, Nizami Ganjavi, today is developing while, like Baku, preserving its historical look. Gabala and Shaki—the capital and one of the main cities of the state of Caucasian Albania—have numerous historical monuments, and the church in the village of Kish, near Shaki, is probably one of the oldest in the world. Another example of the talent of our ancestors is the village of Lahij; 15 centuries ago, when the village was created, its people built a sewage system and water pipeline that are still functional today,” the Azerbaijani leader underlined.

By Vugar Khalilov