Economy of revival: how state investments are changing the image of Azerbaijan's liberated territories

Next year the government will allocate almost one-tenth of all state budget expenditures for the restoration and revival of the liberated region, according to the draft law on the state budget-2026.

At first glance, the amount of 3.5 billion manats is slightly less than the current one. However, in the scale of the future, this is just a drop in the sea of investments awaiting the region. According to the Ministry of Finance's medium-term forecast, from 2026 to 2029, almost four times more - 13.5 billion manats - is planned to be directed to the Karabakh and East Zangezur economic regions.

The giant financial injections are already yielding tangible results: Karabakh is rising from ruins, transforming into a huge construction site for the future. The priorities remain unchanged: industry is being revived in the liberated region, infrastructure is developing, and new homes are being built. Right now, work is in full swing in the region: construction of the world's longest Murovdag tunnel is underway, a major irrigation canal worth over 115 million dollars is being built, and large-scale housing construction continues. In a short time, six cities, two settlements and 20 villages have appeared here, writes the newspaper "Caspian".

Symbols of revival

The Toghanaly-Kalbajar-Istisu highway can be called one of the symbols of revival - a grand project implemented on the instructions of the head of state. The heart of the route will be the Murovdag tunnel - an engineering marvel, ranking 18th in the world in length and first among CIS countries. In addition, four more tunnels with a total length of more than two and a half kilometers are being built - a powerful artery connecting the heart of Karabakh with the entire country.

No less ambitious is the project to build an irrigation canal from the Qız Qalası reservoir. It is designed to revive lands where the splash of water had not been heard and fields had not been green for many years. Today, Karabakh and East Zangezur are turning into a laboratory for sustainable development, where green energy, modern infrastructure and entrepreneurial activity come together. Tens of thousands of citizens have already returned to their native lands, where modern cities, infrastructure and better living opportunities are being created.

Production is a priority

The revival of the region is not only about building homes and roads. Large production and agro-industrial centers are being created on the liberated lands, forming a new economic ecosystem. The state offers generous preferences to residents: tax incentives, modern infrastructure, affordable financing. The investment magnets of the region - industrial parks - attract local and foreign businesses with a special fiscal climate.

In the Aghdam Industrial Park, for example, new enterprises with a total investment of over 40 million manats are already operating and being built. Among the newcomers is the Tabaterra tobacco products factory, opened with the participation of the head of state. Most of the park's enterprises specialize in the production of building materials needed for the restoration of the region. There are also other areas - the production of footwear and wallpaper. According to forecasts, by the end of the year there will be no vacant space for new residents in the park - such is the great