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One of our main goals last year was to start the restoration work on the liberated lands

18-04-2022

"We will turn Karabakh into a paradise. All instructions have already been given. Everything is being done, it will be done according to plan, and we will forever live in these lands."

Ilham Aliyev,

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan

It is known that since 1988, up to 20% of Azerbaijan's lands have been occupied as a result of the occupation of Armenian invaders, our ancient settlements, farming system, crop and animal husbandry areas have been destroyed, the flora and fauna of the region as a whole has been threatened with destruction, and the ecological balance has been disturbed. The visits of the Honorable President to the liberated areas and the released videos have confirmed this once again.

The Armenian armed forces, which could not withstand the The Armed Forces of Azerbaijan in the Patriotic War, committed a war crime and showed their character by firing on the civilian population, our cities, regions and villages (Ganja, Barda, Tartar, Mingachevir, etc.). As a result of this aggression, very serious damage was done to our civilian population, state property, infrastructure, and entrepreneurs. In order to assess these damages and compensate them in the future, the President of Azerbaijan signed an order dated November 6, 2020. According to the decree, the State Commission was established. During the past period, the objects were inspected and evaluated with the participation of the affected citizens themselves. According to the assessment carried out by the State Commission, as a result of the aggression of Armenia on the territory of Azerbaijan starting from September 27, 2020, the damage caused to the civilian population, state property and business entities in terms of agricultural equipment, products and animals was calculated and its amount was 1 mln. 281.1 thousand manats have been determined. The information was included in the 2020 report of the Cabinet of Ministers. In total, 1,560 cattle and small cattle, 34 horses, 107 beehives, 6,701 poultry died in 7 regions (Aghdam, Agjabadi, Barda, Tartar, Fuzuli, Jabrayil, Goranboy),14,107 bales of grass were burnt, 31 agricultural equipments were damaged.

Currently, our main task is the implementation of construction and restoration works in our liberated areas. In this regard, the regular visits of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the liberated regions are welcomed by our people with great enthusiasm.

Azerbaijan has started large-scale activities in the direction of the restoration of territories freed from occupation. Serious steps are already being taken in a number of directions, especially in the field of providing the region with energy, building road infrastructure, building railway lines and airports. Of course, the laying of foundations of new facilities during the visits of President Ilham Aliyev to those areas also shows that the works are continuing in order.

The restoration and reconstruction works carried out in Karabakh and East Zangezur in the short period after the end of the Patriotic War, along with all their merits, are confirmation of the strength of our state. Completing the implementation of huge infrastructure projects in a short period of time is the embodiment of the great political will of President Ilham Aliyev, the savior of our lands.

Based on the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated January 4, 2021, the Karabakh Revival Fund was established by Provision of a modern and decent life for sustainable settlement in the territories freed from occupation of the Republic of Azerbaijan, carrying out construction-restoration and improvement works in all areas,as well as to support safe living, efficient functioning and sustainable growth of well-being.

The year 2021 was marked by both the laying of the foundation of the next great projects and the completion of the implemented projects. The opening of the Gulebird Water-Electric Station, 7 semi-stations, the roads to Sugovushan and Talysh, the provision of water and electricity supply to Shusha, the opening of the house-museum of Bulbul, the mausoleum of Molla Panah Vagif, including the bust, the statue of Uzeyir Bey Hajibeyli, the Kharibbulbul and Karabakh hotels showed that , the restoration of our territories freed from occupation is also complex in nature.

The implementation of construction and rehabilitation works in the liberated territories taking into account the main directions and tasks set by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, future needs and prospects related to settlement, new challenges and concepts, and for this purpose, the work done by all institutions is coordinated through the Inter-Departmental Center.

Regarding the acts of vandalism committed against our cultural heritage in the occupied territories during the 44-day Patriotic War, as well as rocket attacks on Ganja, Barda and other residential areas, appeals were addressed by the Ministry of Culture to UNESCO and ICESCO, the UN Alliance of Civilizations and the Ministries of Culture of 150 countries.

Relevant reports on the results of the preliminary monitoring carried out to determine the state of cultural heritage in the liberated lands in the post-war period have been sent to UNESCO.

The first mission organized by Azerbaijan to the liberated territories identified 180 cultural objects, including libraries, cultural houses, cultural centers, clubs, museums, children's music schools, and witnessed their complete destruction. Almost all the mosques in the liberated areas were destroyed, some were turned into stables.

In accordance with the Decree No. 1170 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated October 29, 2020 "On the organization of a temporary special administration in the liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan", monitoring of monuments and cultural institutions was carried out for the purpose of preliminary inventory and protection of historical objects and culture in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan. During the monitoring of 312 state-registered historical and cultural monuments within the framework of the measures, 106 monuments of historical, architectural and archaeological value that are not state-registered were identified in these areas. Monitoring made it possible to determine the state of the territories where the Republic of Armenia committed illegal actions regarding historical and cultural monuments during the 30-year occupation period. It was determined that mosques, madrassas, and temples were not only destroyed in the territories freed from occupation, but in many cases were used for other purposes. The mausoleums of Panahali Khan (XIX century) and Mehdigulu Khan located in Agdam city were destroyed, and the monuments were seriously damaged by the occupying Armenia. The tomb of Ibrahimkhalil Khan (XIX century) was also completely destroyed. Examples of immovable cultural heritage destroyed by the Armenian armed forces are Islamic religious monuments, that is, mosques, mausoleums and other places of pilgrimage. Such an attitude towards rich cultural heritage poses a threat to world heritage. With the support of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation, major repairs, restoration and construction of 8 mosques are currently being carried out on the liberated lands. Aghdam Juma mosque, Yukhari Govhar agha, Ashaghi Govhar agha, Saatli mosques in Shusha are undergoing major renovation. The construction of a new mosque has been started in the city of Shusha. Reconstruction and construction of mosques in Zangilan city, Hadrut and Dashalti have started. The works carried out by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation in the direction of protecting our national and moral values in the lands freed from occupation do not end there.

Restoration and conservation of historical-architectural complexes destroyed by Armenians, conducting archaeological research to discover and register all monuments in the region are among the main tasks.

As a result of the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and its surrounding regions for a long time, biological diversity, including species of flora and fauna, as well as specially protected natural areas have been seriously damaged in those areas. The environmental balance has been disturbed as a result of the burning of territories, pollution of water resources, intentional deprivation of water for the population, forests rich in valuable tree species, as well as natural monuments, underground and surface natural resources.

The water and energy potential of the territories freed from occupation during the Patriotic War is quite large. In the post-war phase, Azerbaijan intends to use this potential with maximum efficiency and in compliance with environmental norms. President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Ashagi Kondalanchay reservoir in Fuzuli district on June 14. This water source with a total capacity of 9.5 million cubic meters allowed to irrigate 6200 hectares of land. It should be noted that this reservoir was built in the early 1980s by the instructions and initiative of Great Leader Heydar Aliyev. After Fuzuli region was occupied by Armenian usurpers in 1993, exploitation of the reservoir by Azerbaijan became impossible. During the occupation, the Armenians, who committed ecological terror in our lands, cut off water in the seasons when water was seriously needed for agricultural work, and caused serious problems by releasing water from reservoirs during floods or when there was no need for water. Currently, all water resources in the liberated territories are being investigated and analyzed. The use of those water sources will bring great advantage to our country in the future.

Implementation of a number of measures related to the activities of the State Environmental Expertise Agency in the "Action Plan for the works to be carried out by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources for the years 2021-2023" approved by the relevant order of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources assigned.

At present, restoration and construction works are successfully underway. Of course, Azerbaijan carries out these works at the expense of its own strength and funds. The goal is to complete the work as soon as possible and return our displaced citizens to their native lands in a dignified manner.

President Ilham Aliyev announced 2022 as the "Year of Shusha" in his congratulations to the people of Azerbaijan on the occasion of December 31 - World Azerbaijani Solidarity Day and New Year. Such an Order is, in fact, very important in terms of promoting Shusha, the historical cultural capital of Azerbaijan, in the international world. This decision of the President is of historical, political and moral importance and is calculated to achieve several strategic goals. First of all, the goal is to convey the history of Karabakh to the world community with new shades. This also means that during the year, the main attention and resources will be directed to the restoration and reconstruction of Shusha, the cultural capital of our country. Of course, all this will make it possible to create all the necessary opportunities for the return of the population to Shusha and the surrounding areas and to restore normal life there. In this case, we can consider 2022 as the starting year of the important stage of the return to Karabakh.

Adiba Ismayilova

Head of "Khagani 57" territorial party organization

of the New Azerbaijan Party of the Sabail district