President Aliyev: We will all see revived cities in the near future

There was artificial settlement of both citizens of Armenia and mainly the Armenians from the diaspora in Kalbajar and Lachin districts, said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev as he received in a video format Secretary General of the Cooperation Council of Turkic-Speaking States Baghdad Amreyev, Yayin.az reports.

“When the invaders had to leave these territories in accordance with the statement signed on 10 November – they were allowed about 20 days to do that – they set fire to the houses they did not build and illegally moved into, cut down forests and destroyed the entire infrastructure. There were more than 10 hydroelectric power plants in Lachin and Kalbajar districts,” the head of state said.

President Aliyev noted that after Azerbaijan had regained control over the territories, representatives of international organizations, embassies and journalists visited them and saw everything with their own eyes.

“This is unprecedented vandalism and barbarism – as if some kind of a savage tribe walked through these territories,” he added.

As for the city of Shusha, the head of state said no-one can remain indifferent to what state it is in now.

“This pearl of the Caucasus, a unique and inimitable city not only in our region, but also in the world is completely desolate. Mosques have been destroyed, historical and cultural sites have also been destroyed, Vagif's mausoleum has been destroyed, the tombstone has been broken, the bas-relief of Vagif has been broken, the bust has been destroyed, the Natavan Palace has been destroyed, the Bulbul house is in a dilapidated state, the house of Uzeyir Hajibayli is gone, with only walls remaining. This is barbarism. This is a cultural genocide, and there is no justification for it,” President Aliyev said.

He emphasized that the war is over and Azerbaijan has won a victory.

“But we will never forget this. We must never forget this. Therefore, on my instructions, when all our cities and villages are restored, we will leave a neighborhood, perhaps a larger territory in each city the way the occupiers left them, so that the Azerbaijani people never forget this, so that the next generations remember that we must protect our land and rely only on our own strength. Of course, we will restore everything that was destroyed in the occupied territories. The restoration process has already begun. I think that the first steps we have taken will already be visible in the near future. A big return program is being prepared. And I think that we will all see the revived cities in the near future,” the head of state added.