Azernews.Az

By Ayya Lmahamad

The Azerbaijani government will allocate AZN 2.2 billion ($1.3bn) for reconstruction works in the liberated territories in 2021, the Finance Ministry has reported.

According to the draft state budget for 2021, AZN 2.2 billion are envisaged for financing reconstruction measures in the liberated territories.

In particular, these fund will be used to restore the infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, etc), as well as cultural and historical monuments.

Moreover, the funds dedicated for defense and national security, maintenance of the judiciary, law enforcement agencies and prosecutor’s office amounted to 23.4 percent of the state budget expenditures for 2021, which is by 16.3 percent or AZN 937.7 million ($551.5M) more than in 2020.

Earlier it Azerbaijan allocated over AZN 9 million ($5m) to compensate damages to its citizens that suffered from Armenia's aggression during the six-week war over the Nagorno-Karabakh region from September 27 to November 10. Under the order, 9,068,128 AZN ($5,334,192) that were originally calculated on the basis of the lists submitted by the relevant working groups, will be financed from the 2020 Azerbaijani state budget's reserve fund. The funds will be transferred to the relevant treasury accounts of the executive structures of the regions that suffered damages. The initial assistance does not include payment for damages to vehicles.

Azerbaijan and Armenia were locked in a conflict over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region, which along with seven adjacent regions was occupied by Armenian forces in a war in the early 1990s. The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed after Armenia launched large-scale attacks on Azerbaijani forces and civilians on September 27. Armenia had been targeting Azerbaijani densely populated cities and settlements, located far from the conflict zone, and strategically important objects and facilities.

The 44 days of war ended with the Russian brokered peace deal signed on November 10 by the Azerbaijani, Russian and Armenian leaders. The peace agreement became effective envisages the de-occupation of Azerbaijan’s Kalbajar, Aghdam and Lachin regions by December 1 as well as the return of Azerbaijani IDPs to Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven adjacent regions under the control of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad

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