Important statements were made about the existing infrastructure and ongoing work in the liberated territories within the framework of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku.
Modern.az reports that Elchin Usubov, Special Representative for Khankendi city, Khojaly and Asgaran districts, speaking at the relevant panel session of the forum, shared detailed information about the current situation in the region, implemented transport projects and ongoing reconstruction work.
The special representative recalled that Khankendi, Khojaly and Asgaran were completely liberated from occupation as a result of anti-terrorist measures carried out on September 20, 2023. He stated that the special representation started its activity in the region in February 2024, drawing attention to the scale of the territory:
"The administrative territory of Khankendi consists of Khankendi city and Karkijahan settlement. Aghdara has 59 villages, and Khojaly has 55 villages. We are talking about a sufficiently large region, and this territory has serious land resources".
E. Usubov emphasized that the first and most important issue that arose when starting operations was ensuring security. Construction work began in parallel with the process of clearing the area of mines and military ammunition. He noted that during the occupation, the infrastructure was completely neglected:
"Media representatives should not get the impression that we received normal cities and villages after the occupation. During the 30-year occupation, no new buildings were constructed in these three areas. The existing buildings were not in accordance with Azerbaijani architecture, the gas system was in a terrible state, and not a single penny was spent on water and sewage systems. In an area of this size, only one mosque — Malibeyli mosque — remained in ruins. The trace of Khankendi cemetery was completely lost".
Touching upon the urban planning work carried out in the region, the special representative stated that the utilization process was carried out first. According to him, clumsy buildings that did not meet construction standards, damaged the general appearance of the city, and were completely unsuitable for human habitation were demolished based on the official opinion of the relevant state bodies. Currently, the construction and design of modern-type buildings in these areas are rapidly continuing.
E. Usubov, stating that strategic projects are being implemented to restore the logistics capabilities of the region, said that a large part of the Aghdam-Shusha highway passes through Khojaly and Khankendi. Despite the difficult terrain conditions, the construction of the road will be completed by the relevant agencies in the near future.
The most striking point of the speech was related to the date of commissioning of the Khankendi railway:
"In 2024, by the instruction of President Ilham Aliyev, the construction of a railway and bus station complex was started in Khankendi. Currently, 40 percent of the planned work has already been completed. Next year, the full operation and commissioning of the Khankendi railway is expected".
