Azerbaijan creates East Zangezur and Karabakh economic regions upon presidential decree

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on July 7 on the new division of the Republic of Azerbaijan into economic regions, Trend reports.

As a result of the successful implementation of state programs for the socio-economic development of the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan, adopted to ensure the sustainable and balanced development of cities and regions of Azerbaijan, the appearance of cities, towns and villages has changed, the economic potential of the regions has grown, the quality of public services which are rendered to the population, business and investment environment have improved, the well-being of the population has increased.

The consistently implemented targeted reforms and large-scale measures have strengthened the economic and military-defense might of Azerbaijan and created a solid foundation for gaining a brilliant victory in the 44-day Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh War.

Currently, large-scale measures are being taken to restore, ensure the further development of the Azerbaijani territories liberated from the Armenian occupation, create the necessary infrastructure and return the population to their native lands.

The expediency of carrying out, on the basis of a unified program, all the planned work to ensure the equal development of these territories by using their rich economic potential, natural resources and wide tourism opportunities stipulates the necessity for a revision of the division of regions, the territories of which have been liberated from occupation, into economic regions.

Zangilan, Gubadli, Jabrayil, Lachin and Kalbajar districts, located in the eastern part of the Zangezur plateau, surrounded by the Zangezur mountain range and covering a vast territory from Lachin and Kalbajar to Nakhchivan, on the border with Armenia, were also historically located in the same geographic area.

For many years they were part of the Zangezur district, created in 1861, they were connected by traditional socio-economic, historical and cultural ties, which dictates the need to unite them in one economic region.

It is also important create a new Karabakh economic region to ensure the restoration and rapid development of the ancient Karabakh region, which has a special rich historical and cultural heritage, picturesque nature, including Aghdam, Shusha, Fuzuli, Tartar, Khojavend, Khojaly districts and Khankendi town, as well as Aghjabadi and Barda districts belonging to the Karabakh region.

Reintegration of the liberated territories into the Azerbaijani economy requires increasing the efficiency of the work on planning other economic regions, including Ganja-Gazakh and Aran, ensuring efficiency in economic management and revising the composition of these economic regions for this purpose.

Proceeding from paragraph 32 of Article 109 of the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, I order:

1. To approve the following division of the economic regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan:

1.1. Baku economic region (Baku city);

1.2. Nakhchivan economic region (Nakhchivan city, Babak, Julfa, Kengerli, Ordubad, Sadarak, Shahbuz and Sharur districts);

1.3. Absheron-Khizi economic region (Sumgayit city, Absheron and Khizi districts);

1.4. Mountain-Shirvan economic region (Agsu, Ismayilli, Gobustan and Shamakhi districts);

1.5. Ganja-Dashkesan economic region (Ganja and Naftalan cities, Dashkesan, Goranboy, Goygol and Samukh districts);

1.6. Karabakh economic region (Khankendi city, Aghjabadi, Aghdam, Barda, Fuzuli, Khojaly, Khojavend, Shusha and Tartar districts);

1.7. Gazakh-Tovuz economic region (Agstafa, Gadabay, Gazakh, Shamkir and Tovuz districts);

1.8. Guba-Khachmaz economic region (Khachmaz, Guba, Gusar, Siyazan and Shabran districts);

1.9. Lankaran-Astara economic region (Astara, Jalilabad, Lerik, Lankaran, Masalli and Yardimli districts);

1.10. Central Aran economic region (Mingachevir city, Agdash, Goychay, Kurdamir, Ujar, Yevlakh and Zardab districts);

1.11. Mil-Mugan economic region (Beylagan, Imishli, Saatli and Sabirabad districts);

1.12. Sheki-Zagatala economic region (Balakan, Gakh, Gabala, Oguz, Sheki and Zagatala districts);

1.13. East Zangezur economic region (Jabrayil, Kalbajar, Gubadli, Lachin and Zangilan districts);

1.14. Shirvan-Salyan economic region (Shirvan city, Bilasuvar, Hajigabul, Neftchala and Salyan districts);

2. It is necessary to establish that the division of the economic regions specified in this state program is applied to implement the "State program for the socio-economic development of the regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan for 2019-2023", approved upon the decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan dated January 29, 2019 # 500.

3. The Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Azerbaijan must resolve the issues arising from this decree.