Holding the World Urban Forum in the capital of Azerbaijan is a clear demonstration of international respect for Azerbaijan, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said in an interview to Euronews TV.
"182 countries have gathered here. And this is a good demonstration of respect for Azerbaijan. And as far as I know, the number of participants is at a record high. So this really is a demonstration that the topic is important and the host country also is a country which has a lot of international connections," Ilham Aliyev said.
It's also an opportunity to report to the audience and to the international community about what has been done so far, and also to learn from partners, the Azerbaijani leader noted.
"Today urban planning is really something that many leaders think about. And as I said in my remarks, harmony between the preservation of historical heritage and architectural heritage and the need to modernize the cities should go hand in hand," Ilham Aliyev said.
Azerbaijan has so far elaborated a unique experience in how to build cities and villages from scratch. The step-by-step approach, and in some cases a parallel track on development, led to the fact that in five years' time Azerbaijan already has 85,000 people returned, the head of state added.
So far Azerbaijan has commissioned 307 megawatts of hydropower, and 340 megawatts of solar power is under construction right now. This will be enough not only for Karabakh and East Zangezur, but for a much broader area. Also, the connection of the electricity grid to the whole country was organized, he noted.
"Railroads, schools, hospitals - all this goes in parallel. And during the first years of reconstruction, we mainly invested in infrastructure. Now we mainly invest in housing. And the city plans, “smart cities”, “smart village” concept, plan for every village, all that is being done. So this really, for those countries which suffered similar problems like we did, could be a pattern for reconstruction," Ilham Aliyev said.
The Azerbaijani leader noted that cooperation on the energy track with Europe has started some time ago, especially it had a “speed-up” process after 2020, when the Southern Gas Corridor, which today provides natural gas for 16 countries, was commissioned. In total, 12 countries from Europe are recipients of Azerbaijani gas, their number is growing.
Commenting on the Strait of Hormuz crisis, Ilham Aliyev noted that these events affected Azerbaijan in terms of hydrocarbon supplies. However, together with its partners and neighbors, the country has managed to build a diversified supply chain, whether it's oil, gas, electricity, or connectivity., the president added.
"After the crisis is resolved, hopefully sooner than later, probably it will be a new situation. Many countries will reconsider their energy policy and the ways of delivery of energy supplies. And most probably, Azerbaijan's geography and already assets will be needed more than today," Ilham Aliyev said.
