Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov sees rebuilt Karabakh on Azerbaijan visit

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, Chairman of Turkmenistan’s Halk Maslahaty, visited Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region, where he was welcomed by President Ilham Aliyev at Fuzuli International Airport.

At the airport, Berdimuhamedov was briefed on Azerbaijan’s major infrastructure initiatives including international airports constructed in Fuzuli, Zangilan, and Lachin. He was also shown the master plan for Fuzuli city, which is undergoing full-scale redevelopment.

Emin Huseynov, Special Representative of the President in the Agdam, Fuzuli, and Khojavend districts, outlined the city’s reconstruction efforts. Fuzuli is being rebuilt as a modern urban centre spanning nearly 2,000 hectares, with plans to house 50,000 residents by 2040 under a master plan approved in 2021.

Planned projects include a memorial complex featuring museums, a creativity centre named after Kazakh composer Qurmangazy, a new city hospital, educational facilities, and green spaces—all designed with walkability and smart city features in mind. The administrative zone of the city will be structured into three key areas.

The two leaders then travelled to Shusha, where they paused for a commemorative photo overlooking Dashalty village. They later visited the first residential complex built in the city in recent years. Covering nearly eight hectares, the complex includes 23 buildings and 450 apartments, primarily allocated to returning families and public sector employees. So far, more than 370 families — over 1,400 people — have moved in.

Aliyev and Berdimuhamedov also visited a restored creativity centre located in a historic caravanserai once owned by Agha Gahraman Mir Siyab oghlu. Renovated by the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and opened in May 2023, the centre features exhibits on Heydar Aliyev’s contribution to regional development, including the 1979 inauguration of the Aghdam-Khankendi railway, a major infrastructure link.

During the tour, the delegation received information about cultural monuments damaged in earlier years. These included statues of Natavan, Bulbul, and Uzeyir Hajibeyli, which were removed and later returned to their original sites in Shusha.

At the Bulbul House Museum — the residence of the renowned Azerbaijani singer — the leaders viewed the restored building and a newly unveiled bust. The museum was extensively renovated and reopened in 2021.

The visit continued at the Jidir Duzu plain in Shusha, where a presentation of Karabakh horses was held. In a symbolic gesture, President Aliyev gifted Berdimuhamedov a Karabakh horse named Dostlug — meaning “Friendship” — underscoring the close ties between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

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News Politics President Ilham Aliyev Azerbaijan Turkmenistan Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov Karabakh