President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan has developed “a unique experience in how to build cities and villages from scratch” while highlighting the country’s role in urban development and Europe’s energy security.
Speaking in Baku during the 13th United Nations World Urban Forum (WUF13), Aliyev described hosting the event as “a great honour” for Azerbaijan.
“182 countries have gathered here. And this is a good demonstration of respect for Azerbaijan,” he told Euronews' Jane Witherspoon, noting that the number of participants had reached a record high.
The President said the forum provided an opportunity for Azerbaijan to present its achievements and future plans in urban development while also learning from international partners.
“Harmony between the preservation of historical heritage and architectural heritage and the need to modernise the cities should go hand in hand,” Aliyev said.
President Aliyev described Azerbaijan’s reconstruction efforts in Garabagh and East Zangezur as “a unique experience in how to build cities and villages from scratch” following years of devastation in the formerly occupied territories.
“It was unfortunately due to the large-scale devastation of the occupied territories, so we had to do it,” he said.
Aliyev noted that around 85,000 people had already returned to the region over the past five years as reconstruction efforts continued.
“So electricity is number one,” he said, adding that Azerbaijan had already commissioned 307 megawatts of hydropower, while another 340 megawatts of solar power was under construction.
He also highlighted large-scale transport and infrastructure projects, including tunnels, bridges, railways, schools and hospitals. Smart city and smart village concepts are also being implemented throughout the region.
“This really, for those countries which suffered similar problems like we did, could be a pattern for reconstruction,” Aliyev stated.
President Aliyev said Azerbaijan’s cooperation with Europe in the energy sector accelerated after the launch of the Southern Gas Corridor in 2020.
“In terms of the number of countries to which we supply gas via pipelines, we are number one. The number is growing,” he said.
According to the President, Azerbaijan currently supplies natural gas to 16 countries, including 10 European Union member states. He noted that demand for Azerbaijani gas continued to increase as Europe sought alternative energy sources.
“So it's a win-win situation. We need a premium market, which is Europe. And Europe needs an alternative source of supply, which is Azerbaijan,” Aliyev said.
He also announced that Azerbaijan was preparing to begin gas production from a new field in the near future.
Commenting on tensions in the Middle East and the Hormuz crisis, President Aliyev said Azerbaijan’s diversified energy routes and infrastructure had protected the country from major supply chain disruptions.
“We always advocate for diplomacy,” he said, adding that regional cooperation had been essential to Azerbaijan’s energy strategy and international connectivity projects.
“Without diplomacy, we wouldn't have been able to deliver our resources to the markets,” Aliyev noted.
The President added that Azerbaijan’s experience in establishing cooperation between producers, transit countries and consumers could become even more important as countries reconsider energy policies following regional crises.
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Start your day informed with AnewZ Morning Brief. Here are the top news stories for the 24th July, covering the latest developments you need to know.
U.S. strikes on Iran entered a 12th consecutive night, while Yemen's Houthis said they attacked two Saudi oil tankers in the Red Sea, urging President Donald Trump to warn Tehran it would be held responsible for any future Houthi attacks.
The U.S. military said it completed a fresh wave of strikes on Iran late on Thursday, marking the 13th consecutive night of American attacks. The latest operation lasted more than two hours, according to U.S. Central Command.
Aleksandar Vučić's visit to Kyiv on 15 July appeared to send a geopolitical signal. But the significance of the trip lies less in the journey itself than in the limits Serbia carefully observed.
Spain has declared a national emergency and evacuated more than 10,000 people after uncontrolled wildfires reached the outskirts of Madrid. Emergency crews have rescued residents as multiple blazes continue to spread across the region.
A new state agency wants the world to take Georgian food as seriously as Georgians already do.
Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan have signed regional and commercial agreements worth more than 80 billion tenge ($146 million). The deals aim to expand cooperation between the two Central Asian neighbors in trade, transport, industry and cross-border development.
UN Secretary General António Guterres arrived in Damascus on Saturday for the first trip to Syria by a serving United Nations' chief since 2009, before the start of a civil war that killed hundreds of thousands and displaced millions.
More than 100 Afghan business representatives travelled to Uzbekistan this week for a business forum aimed at expanding trade and investment, as Uzbek investors also expressed interest in Afghanistan’s mining sector.
Kazakhstan's grain sector faces a difficult season as drought reduces harvest prospects while mounting security risks in the Black Sea threaten to redirect cheaper Russian grain into Central Asian markets.
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