President Ilham Aliyev Addresses Participants of the 6th Rebuild Garabagh Exhibition
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev addressed the participants of the 6th Rebuild Garabagh international exhibition. The address outlined the scale of reconstruction work in Karabakh and East Zangezur.
Gurban Gurbanzadeh5 min read
President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev on 14 October 2026 addressed the participants of the 6th Azerbaijan International Exhibition “Restoration, Reconstruction and Development of Karabakh” — “Rebuild Garabagh”. The text of the address was published on the official website of the head of state.
In the address, Aliyev welcomed the exhibition participants and wished them success in their work.
“Dear participants of the event! I cordially welcome you in connection with the opening of the 6th Azerbaijan International Exhibition ‘Restoration, Reconstruction and Development of Karabakh’ — ‘Rebuild Garabagh’ and wish all participants of the event success.”
The president noted that the victory in the 44-day Patriotic War laid the foundation for a new stage in the construction and development of Karabakh and East Zangezur. Under the “State Program for the Great Return I”, towns and villages are being restored and the safe return of compatriots to their native lands is being ensured. These works, Aliyev stressed, Azerbaijan is carrying out at the expense of its own financial capabilities: 25.5 billion manats have already been allocated from the state budget for restoration and reconstruction.
For the safe implementation of the Great Return, more than 300,000 hectares of territory have been cleared of mines and explosive ordnance, and more than 40,000 people have returned to 47 settlements. About 100,000 people now live, study and work in the liberated territories.
The transport infrastructure created in Karabakh and East Zangezur connects settlements with each other and with the country’s single economic space. About 1,500 kilometres of roads have been built, and the 11.7-kilometre Murovdag tunnel has been described as an important engineering example of construction work in difficult mountainous conditions. International airports in Fizuli, Zangilan and Lachin have been put into operation, and railway construction continues. The Horadiz–Agbend railway line, as an important part of the Zangezur Corridor, is of strategic importance for expanding Azerbaijan’s international transport and logistics links.
Energy and water supply are being created for the operation of new settlements and production sites. In the region, 1 new reservoir has been built and 5 reservoirs restored, and 13 substations and 38 hydroelectric power plants with a total capacity of 307 megawatts have been put into operation. The development of Karabakh and East Zangezur as a “green energy zone” has been named one of the main directions in the creation of this infrastructure.
The development of infrastructure is accompanied by the organisation of modern social services. In the region, 40 educational and 20 medical institutions have begun operating, as well as Karabakh University in Khankendi. The coverage of state, banking, postal and communication services is expanding. The administrative centres built and put into operation in Lachin, Zangilan, Fizuli and Aghdam make it possible to provide the population with social security, employment and other services promptly within a single space.
Infrastructure construction is complemented by the restoration of the historical and cultural appearance of Karabakh and East Zangezur. The restoration of historical, cultural and religious monuments destroyed and damaged during the occupation, and the creation of modern tourism infrastructure, serve to preserve the region’s rich heritage and realise its tourism potential.
The president dwelt separately on the environmental consequences of the occupation. During that period, 54,300 hectares of forest area were destroyed, and land and water resources were polluted. To date, 600 hectares of forest fund have been restored.
In the next, second stage of the State Program for the Great Return, the main goal is, on the basis of the opportunities created, to further expand private investment, permanent employment and export-oriented production, and to strengthen the positions of Karabakh and East Zangezur as a new centre of growth in the country’s economy. The advanced urban planning and engineering solutions applied in the region create experience that can be used both in other regions of Azerbaijan and at the international level.
In this context, the successful holding in Baku in 2026 of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), organised by the UN Human Settlements Programme, as Aliyev noted, served as an international presentation of the country’s achievements in urban development and strengthened its positions in global dialogue.
The “Rebuild Garabagh” and “BakuBuild” exhibitions, held within the framework of “Caspian Construction Week”, according to the president, create broad opportunities for exchanging this experience, presenting new technologies and establishing business partnerships.
“I am confident that these partnerships will be reflected in concrete projects and will make an important contribution to the Great Return and the long-term development of the region. I wish the exhibition success in its work, and each of you new achievements in your activities.”
Source: news.milli.az
