Presidential aide: Kalbajar being transformed into one of Azerbaijan’s most beautiful cities

Kalbajar is being rebuilt, revived and transformed into one of the most beautiful cities in Azerbaijan and even in the world, Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said.

Speaking at the Second Honey Festival in Kalbajar district, Hajiyev recalled the suffering endured by the region's residents during the occupation and stressed that the city is now undergoing extensive reconstruction, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Hajiyev said he vividly remembers the events of 1993, when Kalbajar residents were forced to flee their homes.

“Being in our native Kalbajar today is a source of great pride for each of us,” he said, recalling how displaced residents arrived in Ganja barefoot and without shelter, bread or food.

He said the residents of Kalbajar endured tremendous hardship as they crossed the Omar Pass in snowy conditions while seeking refuge.

According to Hajiyev, Kalbajar remained under blockade for nearly a year before its occupation.

“Unfortunately, the fact that the city of Kalbajar and its residents were under blockade at that time was not properly understood by the international community,” he said, adding that the situation was also not fully understood within Azerbaijan at the time.

Hajiyev recalled that Armenian forces had surrounded Kalbajar from several directions, while the road through Lachin had been cut off following the occupation of the district.

He also recalled the Tunnel tragedy, in which Kalbajar residents were ambushed while attempting to flee the district.

“We still remember the Tunnel tragedy,” Hajiyev said, describing the incident as comparable in its brutality to the Khojaly tragedy. He stressed that such events must not be forgotten as they form part of Azerbaijan’s history.

Hajiyev also spoke about the suffering endured by Kalbajar women during the occupation, recalling cases in which women attempted to escape by throwing themselves into the Tartar River.

“It is still difficult for me, and for all of us, to speak about these events. But it is a great feeling to know that those moments are now in the past. We are in beautiful Kalbajar,” he said.

Hajiyev said that although he had not visited Kalbajar during his childhood, he had frequently heard friends and acquaintances from the district speak about its natural beauty.

“I tried to imagine it, but I truly could not have imagined that it was this beautiful. Kalbajar is very beautiful,” he said.

The presidential aide said Kalbajar is now undergoing major reconstruction and development as part of the policy pursued by President Ilham Aliyev.

“Kalbajar is being rebuilt, revived and transformed into one of the most beautiful cities in our country and even in the world,” Hajiyev said.

He added that even more extensive reconstruction and development work would be carried out in Kalbajar in the future.

By Vugar Khalilov