"We tried to study international experience during the reconstruction of the liberated territories," Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said during the special session titled “Housing at the Center of Global Coalitions” held within the framework of WUF13, APA reports.
“To be honest, we could not find a model fully suitable for Azerbaijan. We respect the post-conflict experience of the UN and other international organizations, but we were not satisfied with the speed of the process. The instruction of Azerbaijan’s leadership was to carry out the work on time. Because Azerbaijani refugees and internally displaced persons had lived for 30 years with the dream of returning to their homes. The territories were liberated within a short period, and in the reconstruction process we adopted quality, dignity, and safety as the main principles. Therefore, taking international experience into account, we formed our own post-conflict reconstruction model,” Hikmat Hajiyev noted.
He stated that the key issue is coordination among state institutions: “We also studied the Balkan experience and saw that international organizations sometimes duplicate activities. In Azerbaijan’s case, however, a unified state governance system was applied. The President personally leads the entire process at the strategic level and gives instructions to the relevant state institutions. At the first stage, infrastructure is built, access to territories is ensured, and large-scale demining operations are carried out. Nevertheless, we are not fully insured against mine incidents. Since 2020, more than 420 mine incidents have occurred in the liberated territories. Because people are returning, and the first places they go are their homes. But in most cases, they cannot find their homes because they were destroyed. In addition, the roads leading to the homes were also mined. People also want to visit the graves of their parents, but those roads are dangerous as well. We are clearing those areas, creating safe roads for people, and preparing master plans. Because the concept of modern urbanization and urban planning is changing. We are rebuilding the liberated territories in accordance with modern urban planning and environmental standards. Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur were declared a ‘green zone’ by the President. Because those territories possess hydropower, solar energy, and other renewable energy potential. Azerbaijan has created 300 megawatts of renewable energy potential in the liberated territories within a short period. Currently, we are rebuilding 9 cities and 300 settlements from scratch over the last five years. Despite the mine problem, the safe and dignified return of 86,000 Azerbaijanis to Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur has already been ensured. People are now living, working, studying, and rebuilding their lives in those territories. Housing is more important than anything else. With the philosophy that ‘my home is my castle,’ we are rebuilding the region. Azerbaijan is ready both to learn from international experience and to share its own experience. That is precisely why Azerbaijan is considered a suitable venue for hosting the World Urban Forum — to exchange experience with the international community. Unfortunately, new wars and conflicts are emerging in different parts of the world, including in our region. We see how cities and settlements are being destroyed. Under such conditions, Azerbaijan is ready both to learn and to share its own post-conflict reconstruction experience.”
Toghrul Guluzadeh
Guljahan Imangizi
