Lachin’s Cinema Club welcomes international diplomats UPDATED / PHOTO

On June 20, a delegation of foreign diplomats accredited in Azerbaijan — including military attachés and representatives of international organisations — paid a visit to the Lachin Cinema Club.

The diplomats were introduced to the cinema club’s modern infrastructure, a cultural facility actively used by the local residents of Lachin.

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On June 20, a delegation of foreign diplomats accredited in Azerbaijan — including military attachés and representatives of international organisations — visited the Yurd Exhibition Centre in the city of Lachin.

The guests explored exhibits showcasing elements of Azerbaijani cultural heritage, Caliber.Az reports, referring to local media.

They were introduced to traditional carpet weaving, fine art, and a photo display depicting Lachin prior to its occupation by Armenian armed groups.

The visit offered the diplomats an opportunity to gain deeper insight into the region’s rich cultural identity and its historical transformation.

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A delegation of diplomats accredited in Azerbaijan, including military attachés and leaders of international organisations, arrived in the city of Lachin.

The visitors toured ongoing restoration efforts in the city, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

They witnessed firsthand how Azerbaijani residents, having returned to the liberated areas, are rebuilding and revitalising life in Lachin.

The delegation also toured the Hocazfilm film studio.

During their visit to the liberated territories, the diplomats explored the studio’s sets and learned about the Azerbaijani film production process.

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A delegation of foreign diplomats accredited in Azerbaijan, including military attachés and representatives of international organisations, arrived in the Lachin district on a working visit. 

According to local media, the diplomatic corps landed at Lachin International Airport on the morning of June 20, Caliber.Az reports.

As part of the visit, the delegation toured various locations across the district, observing ongoing reconstruction and development efforts under Azerbaijan’s state-led repatriation initiative. The diplomats also visited the newly inaugurated Lachin International Airport, one of the country’s most ambitious infrastructure projects in the post-conflict region.

The Lachin International Airport, located in the mountainous Gorchu village of East Zangezur, officially opened on May 28, 2025. The inauguration ceremony was attended by President Ilham Aliyev and President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, who jointly cut the ceremonial ribbon, received symbolic keys, and toured the new terminal and facilities.

Built at an altitude of 1,700 meters, Lachin International Airport is now the highest-altitude airport in Azerbaijan. Covering more than 130 hectares, the airport lies 30 kilometres from the city of Lachin, 70 kilometres from Shusha, and 60 kilometres from Kalbajar, offering a crucial air link across the Karabakh and East Zangezur regions. It is the third international airport constructed in areas reclaimed by Azerbaijan following the 2020 war, after Fuzuli and Zangilan airports, bringing the nationwide total of international airports to nine.

The visit comes as Lachin undergoes accelerated repopulation and infrastructure renewal under the government’s “Great Return” program. According to the State Committee for Affairs of Refugees and IDPs, 2,090 returnees from 570 families now reside in the district. This includes 217 families in the village of Zabukh and 59 in Sus, with returns beginning in May 2023.

Lachin district, one of the largest in Azerbaijan, was occupied by Armenian forces on May 18, 1992, creating a land corridor between Armenia and the then-occupied Karabakh region. The occupation caused significant human and material loss: 264 Azerbaijanis were killed, 65 taken hostage, and 103 left disabled. Tens of thousands were displaced and resettled across 59 districts of Azerbaijan.

The occupation also resulted in widespread cultural and infrastructural destruction. Over 200 historical monuments, including 54 of global importance, were destroyed. Additionally, Armenian forces looted or demolished 217 cultural centres, 142 healthcare facilities, 133 administrative buildings, 100 schools and kindergartens, five music schools, a boarding school, a vocational training facility, and a communications centre. The total estimated material damage exceeds $7.1 billion.

Azerbaijan regained partial control over the Lachin district in December 2020 as part of the trilateral ceasefire agreement that ended the Second Karabakh War. Full sovereignty over the city of Lachin and the villages of Zabukh and Sus was restored in August 2022.

By Tamilla Hasanova