Speech by Ilham Aliyev at the meeting with residents moving to Shukurbeyli village in Jabrayil district

- First and foremost, I congratulate you on your return to your native land. Shukurbeyli village has been completely rebuilt. As you know, during the occupation, the Armenian state completely destroyed this village; not a single building remained intact. During my numerous meetings with former internally displaced persons (IDPs) throughout the years of occupation, I always said that once we liberated our lands, we would rebuild all our cities and villages, making them even more beautiful. Today, we witness this in the example of Shukurbeyli. The village is highly modern, with all conditions created for living, working, and studying. There is a school, a music school, two kindergartens, a medical center, and, of course, beautiful and comfortable houses where you, the residents of Shukurbeyli, can live in comfort.

For many years, these lands remained under occupation. The Armenian state sought to completely erase the heritage of the Azerbaijani people from these territories, but they failed to achieve this. Although our cities and villages were devastated, the historical memory of the Azerbaijani people was never erased. I know that you, like all former IDPs, lived with one dream — the dream of returning to your native lands. Some of you settled in houses provided by the state in the Bilasuvar district, while others created certain living conditions for yourselves. Yet, of course, one’s native soil and homeland are dearer than anything else.

Today is a very beautiful and historic day — a day marking the triumph of justice. We, the rightful owners of these lands, not only liberated these territories from the enemy through struggle and sacrifice, but also revived them. During the occupation, the Armenian state left no stone unturned in the Jabrayil district. True, they attempted to build a road, but did not have enough time to complete it. Nevertheless, they left no stone upon another. Jabrayil was completely razed to the ground; not a single intact building remained either in the city or in the villages, much like in Aghdam. In Zangilan, a few houses survived where illegal settlements had been established. However, Fuzuli, Aghdam, and Jabrayil were entirely destroyed. Houses were demolished, and stones were looted and sold in markets elsewhere. We, on the other hand, are rebuilding and creating. Today, several thousand people reside in the Jabrayil district — first and foremost in the city of Jabrayil, the city center located not far from here, as well as in Horovlu village and Jojug Marjanli. We rebuilt that village after the April battles. The largest population will live here. Currently, there are 635 houses, but according to the information provided to me, the number of people wishing to return is even greater — more than 900. Therefore, we are also planning the second phase of the village.

Naturally, alongside housing and education, employment issues are also being addressed. All relevant instructions have been issued to ensure employment opportunities for citizens. Naturally, jobs in the public sector are being provided first, followed by opportunities in agriculture, particularly in animal husbandry and crop cultivation. In addition, the Araz Valley Economic Zone Industrial Park is operating in the Jabrayil district. We have allocated a vast area of 200 hectares there. Currently, 20 residents are operating within this industrial zone and have already launched production activities. This zone will continue to expand, and it is also located close to here. I should also note that we have planned only two industrial zones in the liberated territories — one in Aghdam and the other in Jabrayil.

Overall, Jabrayil will make a significant contribution to our country in the future from both agricultural and transportation perspectives. You may remember the old Soviet-era road — before the occupation, it was a very narrow road running alongside the Araz River. We restored it, but the new road — I do not know whether you have already seen it — is a four-lane highway extending all the way to the Armenian border as part of the Zangezur Corridor. There are no higher standards than these. Therefore, transportation issues are also being resolved here, and in the future, Jabrayil, along with the cities and villages located along this international transport corridor, will benefit greatly from it.

Our largest solar power plants are also being constructed in Jabrayil — three plants with a total capacity of 340 megawatts. Today, 340 megawatts would be sufficient to illuminate the entirety of Garabagh. At the same time, considering that we have already commissioned more than 300 megawatts of hydroelectric power plants in Zangilan, Lachin, and Kalbajar, within approximately one or two years the combined solar and hydropower generation capacity of this region will reach nearly 700 megawatts. This will bring tremendous benefits to both the country and employment. All liberated territories are being connected with the rest of our country through roads, airports, electricity lines, and water infrastructure. We will also utilize the water resources of the Khudaferin and Giz Galasi reservoirs, along with the electricity generated there. Thus, we will once again demonstrate to the entire world that we are a nation that builds and creates, while also being a nation capable of fighting. We reclaimed these lands through sacrifice and bloodshed — may Allah rest the souls of all our martyrs in peace — and we achieved a brilliant Victory. This Victory is unparalleled in modern history and will likely remain so. We must take pride in this eternal Victory. The younger generation must be raised in this spirit — at home, within families, and in schools — so that from now on we may continue to live proudly as a victorious country and nation.

I sincerely congratulate you and wish you good health.