Azerbaijani authorities announce "Great Return" State Program goals

The First State Program on ‘Great Return’ signed by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev contains many important points related to the rapid development of the lands liberated from occupation and their sustainable settlement.

The program’s implementation should be carried out until 2026. It has defined the following target indicators for the development of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions: infrastructure, economic recovery, social development, balanced development of the environment.

1. As part of infrastructure projects, the territories will be cleared of mines and unexploded ordnances and security will be ensured:

● Until 2026, it’s planned to continue work on clearing the territories from mines, unexploded ordnances, and explosive devices. To this end, annual plans will be developed;

● By the end of 2026, it’s planned to clear 280,000 hectares of territory in Karabakh. In 2020-2022, 57.6 thousand hectares were demined in the Karabakh and East Zangazur economic regions. In 2023-2026, it’s planned to clear 215,000 hectares of mines;

● In accordance with the program, it’s envisaged to strengthen the material and technical support of new military units (border units), the establishment and organization of the operation of checkpoints across the state border, the establishment of checkpoints across the state border at the international airports of Fuzuli and Zangilan and in other territories;

● In the administrative-territorial units, it’s planned to organize the ‘Safe City’ service, construct administrative buildings of central and local authorities, the judiciary, including the prosecutor's office, if necessary, service residential buildings, and implement other important infrastructure projects; construct cities, settlements and villages in the territories and providing them with affordable, reliable, high-quality and sustainable infrastructure:

● Urban development activities should take into account global urban planning trends which are changing around the world under the influence of technological, demographic and environmental conditions;

● Maps of settlements will be drawn up for each district, indicating the boundaries of the territories where they will be created, and their auxiliary infrastructure (ground and underground resources, additional areas), and specially protected natural areas;

- Building of infrastructure for transport, communications, water supply, gas supply, energy supply, heat supply, and others.

● Since November 2020, the construction of airports, roads and railways has begun in the liberated territories. Besides, in a short time, the formation of transport infrastructure between various settlements of the region began, which connects these points with other cities and regions of the country;

● Until 2025, it’s planned to build a gas pipeline from Aghdam to Khankandi, branches of the gas pipeline with the installation of gas control points. Moreover, the construction of the Aghdam-Aghdara gas pipeline and its protection zones, the reconstruction of a section of the Yevlakh-Nakhchivan gas pipeline using 720 mm pipes, as well as the laying of gas pipelines to large settlements in the liberated areas, the construction of inter-city (inter-district) and local trunk telecommunication lines;

● Until 2026, the construction of a reservoir will be carried out in Zabukh village, Lachin district. Based on the design documentation for the Zabukhchay reservoir and the main pipelines extending from it, it’s planned to carry out construction work, provide water to 12,100 hectares of land in the territory of Gubadli and Zangilan districts;

● It’s envisaged to work out and approve proposals for the use of preferential tariffs for the use of electricity in the territories.

2. The formation of an entrepreneurial environment will be carried out with the attraction of new investments;

● To allocate resources for the establishment of a processing industry and infrastructure in the territories liberated from occupation, it’s planned to determine tax benefits, social insurance and other benefits, provide guarantees for bank loans to business entities, and subsidize interest on loans.

- It’s planned to provide preferential loans to entrepreneurs working in the liberated territories at the expense of the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund, to implement measures to attract local and foreign investments, and to create a mechanism for insuring investments;

- It’s planned to develop entrepreneurship, including small and medium-sized businesses:

● As a result of increasing the competitiveness of small and medium-sized businesses, the construction of new production, processing and service enterprises and the creation of new jobs will contribute to the restoration and socio-economic development of these territories;

● It’s envisaged to implement measures to attract local and foreign investments and create a mechanism for insuring investments;

● It’s envisaged in the territories to determine areas of activity for which customs and tax benefits related to the import of raw materials and materials will be applied, to expand access to financial resources for persons engaged in entrepreneurial activities, and to reduce the cost of attracted resources;

● Through sales representatives in foreign countries, marketing activities regarding the opportunities of the region and promotion of investments through the corresponding electronic platform will be carried out;

- Involvement of new land plots in agricultural turnover:

● The state program envisages the involvement of new land plots in agricultural turnover, the introduction of sustainable and progressive agricultural methods, and the stimulation of agricultural development;

● It’s planned to conduct large-scale geobotanical research on natural hayfields, summer and winter pastures, as well as the identification and mapping of land plots to be involved in agricultural turnover.

- Restoration of crop areas and livestock farms, and formation of a modern irrigation infrastructure:

● Issues related to the transfer of livestock farms and bee colonies to safe zones in the liberated territories have already been implemented;

● A registration platform has been created to transfer livestock farms to summer pastures in Kalbajar and Lachin districts. A total of 300,000 heads of small cattle and 60,000 bee colonies were registered, and appropriate measures were taken to transfer livestock farms to summer pastures;

● Within the framework of the program, a modern irrigation infrastructure will be formed for the effective use of the agricultural potential of the territories;

● Integration of information (documents) in the field of water supply of irrigated lands and water resources into the digital information system of water management, formation of a database on existing water resources and irrigated lands, its improvement are envisaged;

● It’s planned to submit proposals for land reform;

● It’s planned to support the preferential purchase of machinery and equipment for agricultural purposes.

- Implementation of sustainable agricultural practices with efficient food production systems:

● Based on the land balance data presented in 2020, after the restoration of agriculture in the liberated territories, more than 200,000 hectares are forecasted to be used for crops, of which about 9,000 hectares are household plots.

- Strengthening of local economic potential and its involvement in economic turnover:

● According to the program, it’s planned to involve natural resources and socio-economic potential in the economic turnover.

- Achievement of sustainable and balanced socio-economic development of territories:

● According to the state program, the transit potential of the region will be effectively used in the construction of modern road transport infrastructure as part of the reintegration of territories into the economy of the country and the region. The needs of the population, the impact of this infrastructure on the socio-economic development of the territories liberated from occupation will be taken into account.

- Development of the tourism sector:

● The state program envisages the assessment of resources in the field of tourism, the development of concepts for the development of tourism in areas of tourist importance, the creation of related infrastructure in territories (places) of tourist importance. Given the potential and geographical conditions of the liberated territories, Kalbajar district can be considered as a new economic center in the field of extractive industry and tourism, Shusha district - as a cultural and tourist center, and Gubadli, Zangilan, Lachin, Fuzuli and Khojavand districts - as agricultural centers and tourism centers. Measures will be implemented to make the region a competitive tourist destination using its tourism potential;

3. Within the framework of social development programs, it’s envisaged to ensure sustainable development and create comfortable living conditions:

● The state program noted that the effective implementation of the recovery, sustainable development and return to permanent residence of internally displaced persons requires an integrated approach to such important priorities as addressing issues of management and security, provision of housing, necessary infrastructure and social services, and creation of employment opportunities. First of all, surveys are conducted among internally displaced persons and appropriate planning is carried out based on the results of these surveys. Besides, the program noted that the process of returning the population should be carried out taking into account the dynamics of socio-economic development and demographic trends in accordance with the principle of maintaining social justice;

● Organization of safe living and public administration in the territories, ensuring the construction and sustainable infrastructure of cities, settlements and villages;

● In accordance with the action plans, it’s envisaged to ensure safe living in settlements, and decent living conditions for the population through the construction of new modern cities and settlements based on the ‘Smart City’ and ‘Smart Village’concepts;

● By 2025, it’s planned to resettle 10,270 families, and by 2026 - 34,500 families.

- Improving the standard of living of the population, including strengthening the social protection of vulnerable groups of the population:

● The program provides for the organization of short-term training programs in accordance with the needs of the economy, the development of projects to improve skills among the returning population;

● As part of the state program, it’s planned to attract 1,000 people to short-term training programs and 5,000 people to short-term training programs, stimulate the involvement of qualified specialists in labor activities in the liberated territories, implement projects to attract qualified specialists to the liberated territories, and sustainably meet the needs of the market labor in the skilled labor force in these territories.