International forum opens in Shusha

An international forum has opened in Azerbaijan’s cultural capital Shusha.

The forum titled "Reconstruction, Reconciliation and Integration: Energy, Economy, Environment and Equality" kicked off on June 7 and is attended by about 30 former heads of state and government, Report informs.

At the event's opening, a video was presented, prepared by the Nizami Ganjavi International Centre, about restoring the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

Shusha - which was destroyed and looted by Armenians during 28 years of occupation from 1992 to 2020 - is being rapidly rebuilt by the Azerbaijani government.

Shusha is an important city in the Karabakh (Garabagh) region due to its geographical location and historical significance as one of the major cultural, economic, and administrative centres of Azerbaijan.

Shusha was named the cultural capital of Azerbaijan in an order signed by President Ilham Aliyev in May 2021, shortly after the city’s liberation from Armenian occupation in November 2020. In addition, in January, Aliyev declared 2022 the “Year of Shusha” in Azerbaijan, celebrating the 270th anniversary of the city’s foundation.