Khankendi, July 20, 2025 – The Europe Today: President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev, announced that the number of citizens returning to the country’s liberated territories is steadily rising and will accelerate in the coming period. The remarks were made during a meeting with participants of the 3rd Shusha Global Media Forum.
Highlighting the success of Azerbaijan’s post-conflict reconstruction strategy, the President stated that the first four years following the liberation were primarily dedicated to the implementation of major infrastructure projects, most of which have now been completed.
“The entire Karabakh and East Zangezur regions are already connected through a circular power grid and have been fully integrated into Azerbaijan’s national energy system,” President Aliyev noted.
With foundational infrastructure largely in place, the President affirmed that focus will now shift toward residential construction to further accelerate resettlement. “Just yesterday, residents returned to two villages in the Khojaly district, bringing the number of resettled communities to 18,” he said.
President Aliyev emphasized the continued implementation of the “Great Return” program, designed to enable the phased and dignified return of internally displaced persons to their ancestral homes. “This process will continue month by month, year by year, with more and more of our citizens returning,” he stated.
Underscoring his vision for the region’s future, President Aliyev said: “Karabakh and East Zangezur will be revived. At the beginning of the Great Return, I said we would turn this region into paradise. It is already a small piece of paradise – we see it with our own eyes.”
The comments reaffirm Azerbaijan’s commitment to restoring and revitalizing its liberated territories, ensuring long-term development, peace, and prosperity for returning communities.
