EU Commissioner Marta Kos visits Azerbaijan’s Aghdam city Reviews reconstruction and demining efforts / UPDATED

European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos was briefed on the demining work carried out from 2020 to 2025 in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

An ANAMA official informed the Commissioner that from November 2020 to 17 September 2025, a total of 227,713.3 hectares in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur were cleared of landmines and unexploded ordnance, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

In total, 209,168 mines and other explosive devices remaining from the war were detected and neutralised, including 38,600 anti-personnel mines, 22,192 anti-tank mines, and 148,376 unexploded ordnance (UXO).

The Commissioner was also informed that the clearance operations are carried out manually, using specialised mechanical equipment and specially trained dogs.

16:10

European Union Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, observed the demining process in Aghdam.

The EU Commissioner was informed that during the occupation, Armenia had planted a large number of mines in Azerbaijani territories, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

It was noted that after the liberation of these territories, demining operations began, and to date, large areas have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance.

The Commissioner was also briefed that, following the Patriotic War, hundreds of people became victims of mines laid by the Armenian side during the occupation.

Finally, Marta Kos observed the process of neutralising mines through controlled detonations.

14:31

European Union Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos has begun her visit to the city of Aghdam, a key location in Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region.

The delegation’s first stop was the Aghdam railway and bus station complex, where the guests were briefed on reconstruction works and the city’s broader development plan, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

As part of the programme, Commissioner Kos will also be updated on the progress of demining operations in the area, a critical step for ensuring safe resettlement and the region’s long-term recovery.

Azerbaijan has launched an extensive reconstruction and resettlement initiative in the Aghdam district, a region heavily affected by the 2020 Karabakh conflict. This effort is part of the broader state-led “Great Return” program, designed to restore liberated territories and facilitate the return of internally displaced persons (IDPs).

The reconstruction of Aghdam is proceeding in phases. The first phase, inaugurated in the village of Sarijali on March 27, 2025, saw President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva hand over keys to newly resettled families. Key infrastructure projects include the restoration of the Aghdam Juma Mosque, the development of the Aghdam Industrial Park, and the rebuilding of transport and urban facilities, all aimed at reviving economic activity and supporting sustainable livelihoods for returnees.

Launched in 2022, the “Great Return” program plans to resettle approximately 140,000 IDPs across 100 settlements in the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions by 2026. The initiative combines housing construction, infrastructure restoration, and economic reintegration, with over $2.8 billion allocated for reconstruction in 2024 and an additional $9.4 billion planned for 2026–2029.

While challenges such as demining, infrastructure rebuilding, and providing social support to returnees remain, the program represents a long-term strategy for post-conflict recovery. It has attracted international attention as a model for large-scale rehabilitation and the reintegration of displaced populations.

By Vugar Khalilov