The phased return of approximately 700,000 former internally displaced persons to the liberated territories is envisaged, and the Great Return program is considered one of Azerbaijan's main national priorities until 2030.
Modern.az reports that this was stated by Fuad Huseynov, Deputy Chairman of the State Committee of the Republic of Azerbaijan for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, during a panel discussion on “Migration and Cities: A Framework for Safe, Innovative and Sustainable Governance” held within the 13th session of the World Urban Forum in Baku.
He noted that one of the world's largest cases of forced displacement in the last 30 years occurred as a result of the Armenia-Azerbaijan, Karabakh conflict.
“In a country with a population of 10 million, hundreds of thousands of people became internally displaced and were expelled from their native lands.
Over the past years, the Azerbaijani state has built more than 20 modern settlements for internally displaced persons, and 320,000 people have been provided with improved housing conditions. However, the only sustainable solution to the problem was a political settlement of the conflict and the liberation of the occupied territories.”
F. Huseynov also emphasized that as a result of the 44-day Patriotic War in 2020, the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan within its internationally recognized borders was restored, and conditions were created for the safe, voluntary, and dignified return of former internally displaced persons.
He added that the government adopted the first state program on the Great Return for the liberated territories, and large-scale restoration and construction work is currently underway in Karabakh and Eastern Zangazur.
