BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19. Azerbaijan has created 300 megawatts of green energy potential in the liberated areas, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, said, Trend reports.
Hajiyev expressed these views during the panel discussion “Housing at the Center of Global Coalitions,” held as part of WUF13.
He recalled that since 2024, the war and conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia have ended. The South Caucasus is no longer recognized as a region of war and conflict. Azerbaijan has fully restored its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
The official noted that the peace process with Armenia, which began at the Washington summit last year, has created favorable geopolitical conditions for long-term peace and security in the region.
"However, when we returned to the liberated territories, we encountered a completely different picture. It was unimaginable devastation. Aghdam city, which my president also mentioned yesterday, was once a city of 100,000 people. This city has been destroyed to such an extent that it is called the 'Hiroshima of the Caucasus'.
Hiroshima was destroyed by nuclear weapons. Agdam was deliberately destroyed, stone by stone. Nine cities of Azerbaijan were almost completely destroyed."
The presidential aide emphasized that the process of returning one million refugees and internally displaced persons to their native lands is currently underway. This is a huge mission facing the Azerbaijani government.
"A large-scale mine clearance campaign is underway in the liberated territories because security and safe housing are a key part of the housing concept. We tried to learn international experience in the liberated territories. We evaluate the activities of the UN and other international organizations in post-conflict regions, but frankly, we weren't completely satisfied with the speed of these mechanisms because there was a certain fatigue in donor countries. However the main issue for Azerbaijan was time. IDPs had lived with the desire to return to their homes for 30 years.
That's why we have developed our own model of post-conflict reconstruction. Taking into account international experience, we have developed a special model for Azerbaijan," Hajiyev added.
He emphasized that President Ilham Aliyev personally leads the entire process at a strategic level, giving relevant instructions to state agencies.
"First of all, infrastructure is being created, access to territories is being provided, and demining work is being carried out in parallel.
Unfortunately, it's impossible to completely prevent mine incidents. Since 2020, more than 420 mine incidents have occurred in the liberated areas because people are first trying to return to their homes and the graves of their loved ones. However, most of those roads are mined.
We are trying to ensure the safe return of people by clearing those areas. President Ilham Aliyev has declared Karabakh and East Zangezur a green energy zone. These areas have great potential in terms of hydropower, solar and other renewable energy sources," he explained.
Hajiyev noted that currently Azerbaijan has created 300 megawatts of renewable energy potential in the liberated territories in a short period of time.
"Today we are rebuilding nine cities from scratch," he added.
The third day of the 13th session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) is underway in Baku.
On the first day, a ministerial meeting dedicated to the New Urban Agenda, a roundtable of ministers, assemblies of women and civil society, business sessions, and discussions on urban well-being were held. A ceremony for raising the flags of the United Nations and Azerbaijan also took place within the framework of the forum.
The second day of the forum drew attention with the first-ever Leaders Summit. High-level discussions on the global housing crisis, urbanization policy, and urban resilience were held that day. At the same time, the Mexico City pavilion was inaugurated within the framework of WUF13. The pavilion was presented as an important platform for expanding cooperation with the Latin American region and preparing for WUF14.
WUF13, which has attracted more than 40,000 registered participants from 182 countries, will continue until May 22. Held under the theme “Housing the world: Safe and resilient cities and communities,” the forum brings together governments, international organizations, experts, and representatives of civil society to strengthen global cooperation in the field of sustainable urban development.
