Speaking at a forum he attended, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev gave important messages about what happened in Karabakh and the steps to be taken. Pointing to the date of September 20 in his speech, Aliyev said, “If the Armenian government analyzes the events correctly, peace is close.”
“EASTERN ZENGEZUR IS BEING RECONSTRUCTED”
The 2nd National Urban Planning Forum was held in Zangilan in the Karabakh region, within the scope of the “Urban Planning Week 2023” events organized in cooperation with the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT) and the Azerbaijan State Urban Planning and Architecture Committee. At the opening ceremony, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev made a speech at the opening ceremony of the 2nd National Urban Planning Forum on “sustainable cities as a driving force of economic development and the fight against inequalities”.
Stating that there were nearly 400 participants at the forum, Aliyev said, “This is a manifestation of our friendship, a manifestation of our common interest in the reconstruction of the lands completely destroyed during the occupation. Today, Eastern Zangezur, like the entire Karabakh, is being rebuilt from scratch. From Karabakh The first region to which our citizens who were forced to migrate returned was Zangilan. The smart village Aghali came back to life and the residents live happily there. I witnessed how attached people are to their roots. The young generation, who had never seen their homeland, returned. This shows how deeply the roots of the Azerbaijani people are “In 2025, maybe a little earlier, the first residents of the city of Zangilan will return to their homeland,” he said.
“WE SEE ZENGILAN AS AN IMPORTANT TRANSPORTATION CENTER”
Emphasizing that Zengilan province is located on transportation corridors, Aliyev said, “We see Zengilan as an important transportation junction. Because its geographical location makes this necessary. The construction of Zangilan International Airport has been an important factor in the development of this region. It will make transportation easier for people. I am sure that there will be many foreign tourists coming to Zangilan in the future. Because this region is one of the most beautiful places in Azerbaijan. “Zangilan, which has a unique ecosystem with forests, rivers and lakes, is one of our greatest assets,” he said.
“AT LEAST 2.4 BILLION DOLLARS WILL BE ALLOCATED FOR THE RESTORATION OF KARABAKH NEXT YEAR”
Aliyev noted that after the end of the Second Karabakh War, 7 billion US dollars were spent on reconstruction works in Karabakh from the Azerbaijani budget. Aliyev said, “The minimum budget we plan for next year will be 2.4 billion dollars. Implementation of the Great Return Program is our number one task. They have been waiting for this opportunity to return here for 30 years. The Second Karabakh War, which resulted in our glorious victory, created these conditions for them. “Today, they expect us to return them to their homeland as soon as possible,” he said.
“ZONING PLAN OF 8 PROVINCES AND 92 VILLAGES IN KARABAKH HAS BEEN APPROVED”
Reminding that large-scale housing projects will be implemented especially in Shusha and other cities in the coming years, Aliyev said, “This is an integral part of our program. “So far, the development plans of 8 provinces and 92 villages in Karabakh have been approved, and the foundations of 30 villages have been laid,” he said. “More than 2 thousand of our citizens have returned to their homes and their number will reach 5 thousand 500 by the end of the year,” he said.
“IT WILL BE IN SERVICE SOON”
Referring to the railway passing through the Azerbaijani part of the Zangezur corridor, Aliyev said, “Today, the construction of the Horadiz-Zengilan railway is in an active phase and this important part of the transportation corridor will be ready soon. This is a project that will connect the main territory of Azerbaijan with the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. From there the railway will pass through Iran and Turkey and eventually reach Europe. We will implement this project soon. “In other words, Zangilan will be a very important transportation center,” he said.
“IF THE ARMENIAN GOVERNMENT WANTED TO MAKE PEACE WITH AZERBAIJAN, IT COULD HAVE DONE IT”
Stating that the hopes of the current Armenian government are exaggerated, Aliyev said, “If the current Armenian government wanted to make peace with Azerbaijan, it could do so. Azerbaijan was ready for this, international mediators and former co-chairs (Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe-OSCE) knew this. “We were ready to resolve this peacefully on the basis of restoring Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity,” he said.
“WE WILL SECURE THE RIGHTS OF THE ARMENIAN POPULATION IN KARABAKH”
Aliyev said, “We will secure the rights of the Armenian population in Karabakh. We have already presented them with our views on reintegration and their rights. Their religious, educational, cultural and municipal rights will be provided and all these issues will be resolved in accordance with international agreements. “These will be implemented in accordance with all agreements to which Azerbaijan is a party, our Constitution and our international obligations,” he said.
“THERE ARE NO LONGER ‘GREY’ ZONES IN OUR LAND, AND SEPARATION HAS BEEN ENDED”
Stating that the separatist Armenian regime in Karabakh no longer exists, Aliyev said, “In other words, there are no more ‘gray’ zones left in our lands, there are no illegal structures left, and separatism has ended. This is an indication of our strong political will. This shows that the Azerbaijani government is ready for peace with Armenia. This is a good signal. Some still live with vengeful ideas. “This is a strong signal for them to give up these ideas,” he said.
‘PEACE’ MESSAGE! IMPOSED CONDITIONS ON ARMENIA
Stating that they warned the Armenian forces in Karabakh to lay down their weapons and leave there on September 20, Aliyev said, “This happened and we keep our promise. If the Armenian government correctly analyzes the events from 2019 to September 20, 2023, peace is close. This is our vision for the future, this is our vision for the future of the region. “I believe that international actors and our neighbors Azerbaijan will see that their stance is constructive,” he said.
(UAV)