On 28 May 2026, a date carrying profound dual significance as Azerbaijan celebrated both Independence Day and Eid al-Adha, President Ilham Aliyev conducted a comprehensive working visit to the liberated Garabagh region. This high-profile visit encompassed the inauguration of major social and cultural infrastructure, the inspection of modern residential housing for military personnel and returning citizens, the launch of key manufacturing facilities, and a deeply symbolic meeting with repatriated residents.
The visit also reflects a pivotal shift in the region's post-conflict trajectory. Beyond the initial emergency clearing and demining phases, the Azerbaijani state is systematically deploying extensive capital and legislative incentives to transition Garabagh into a self-sustaining, economically vibrant, and structurally modern zone. Therefore, President Ilham Aliyev’s activities on this day perfectly illustrate the state’s multi-layered approach to regional reintegration, such as revitalising cultural identity, establishing robust light industries, building high-quality housing, and most importantly, cementing national sovereignty.
Moreover, a focal point of the President’s itinerary in Khankendi was the official opening of the city’s Cultural Center following a comprehensive structural and functional overhaul. Originally constructed during the 1960s and 1970s, the three-story building had suffered decades of neglect, resulting in severe wear, structural deformation, and critical damage to its load-bearing components.
Under the briefing of Elchin Yusubov, the Special Representative of the President in Khankendi, Khojaly, and Aghdara, the President inspected the reconstructed facility. The modernisation project has transformed the historical venue into a multifaceted cultural hub equipped to handle public and arts events with a state-of-the-art 348-seat main hall designed to host concerts, theatrical performances, film screenings, presentations, and official community meetings. Furthermore, multi-functional areas are dedicated to creative workshops, training sessions, rehearsals, and local clubs or on-site administrative operations, dressing rooms, a cafeteria, a ticket office, and a dedicated souvenir shop are designed to support local tourism-oriented services.
As Khankendi undergoes rapid demographic growth and integrates an expanding student population, the revitalised Cultural Center is strategically positioned to serve as the primary engine for the city's public, social, and community life.
Demonstrating the state's focus on social welfare and the domestic needs of those protecting national security, President Aliyev travelled to the village of Dashbulag in the Khojaly district. Here, he inspected a major housing development consisting of 191 private houses that have undergone extensive overhauls specifically for the servicemen of the Ministry of Defense.
The residential layout reveals a highly organised, diverse development designed to accommodate various family sizes, including single-story housing which consists of 1 two-room house, 70 three-room houses, 93 four-room houses, and 8 five-room houses, or large-family accommodations that include 1 eight-room house alongside 18 expansive two-story, seven-room houses.
The rehabilitation of Dashbulag extends far beyond mere structural renovations. The homes have been fully integrated into the national utility grid, receiving reliable electricity and gas supplies. Concurrently, essential communication and civil infrastructure projects have been executed, featuring upgraded internal neighborhood roads, a dedicated recreation park, and a centrally positioned Flag Square. This ensures that military families are provided with modern, comfortable living conditions conducive to long-term community settlement.
Industrial regeneration and economic reintegration
The core pillar of Azerbaijan’s strategy in Garabagh is reducing import dependency and stimulating local production through targeted economic incentives. During his visit, President Aliyev inaugurated two major light industry enterprises, highlighting how public-private partnerships are driving regional employment.
Inaugurated in the city of Khojaly in the presence of Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov and founder Rizvan Tahmazov, this textile enterprise represents an initial investment value of 4.2 million manats. The funding mechanism exemplifies strong state support: a concessional loan of 3.2 million manats was provided by the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund under the Ministry of Economy, supplemented by 1 million manats in private equity.
Equipped with advanced Turkish and Chinese technologies, the facility possesses an annual production capacity of 1.4 million textile items. Initially focused on home textiles (bedding sets, covers, and towels), it utilises raw materials from domestic sources alongside imports from Türkiye, Uzbekistan, and China, targeting both domestic consumption and foreign export markets.
Crucially, the enterprise has generated 85 permanent jobs, primarily targeting citizens returning to the liberated territories. Furthermore, the State Employment Agency is backing a two-month professional training program for 40 local residents from Khojaly and Aghdam to ensure immediate employment upon completion. Future expansions aim to scale the workforce to 200 personnel as garment manufacturing launches, adding to the 60 people already employed at the company's Khankendi garment branch.
In Khankendi, President Aliyev opened a specialized work gloves manufacturing facility founded by Hikmat Asadov. With a total investment volume of 3.5 million manats—supported by a 1 million manat concessional loan from the Business Development Fund and a 238,000 manat VAT exemption on imported machinery—the plant boasts a massive annual production capacity of 25 million pairs of gloves across four distinct varieties.
Intended to satisfy domestic industrial market demands before expanding exports to Europe, the facility provides immediate employment for 35 people. These industrial projects leverage the extensive tax, customs, and social insurance exemptions granted to registered residents of the liberated territories, fostering an exceptionally competitive business climate.
Community reintegration: Repatriation of Boyuk Galaderesi
The emotional and political climax of the tour took place in the Boyuk Galaderesi village of the Shusha district. Occupied by Armenian armed forces in 1992 and fully liberated during the anti-terror operations of September 2023, the village represents the frontline of the "Great Return" policy. Special Representative Aydin Karimov detailed the rapid civil engineering works deployed to welcome back 14 families (64 individuals) in the initial phase.
Of the village's 50 houses, 17 have been completely restored, with 20 more slated for the next phase. Essential infrastructure has been fully reinstated, including new transformers, power lines, gas pipelines, distribution water networks, individual utility meters, modern communication lines, a recreation park, a Flag Square, and upgraded internal roads.
President Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Garabagh on 28 May 2026 serves as a definitive statement of Azerbaijan's post-conflict reality. By successfully executing highly complex infrastructure projects, establishing sophisticated manufacturing enterprises, and rapidly returning populations to modernized ancestral villages within a brief five-year window, Azerbaijan is demonstrating the tangible economic output of its independent state policy. So the visit highlights that the restoration of Garabagh is no longer a future objective, but a fully operational, irreversible reality.
