Azerbaijan entered a new stage of life by gaining glorious victory in the Second Karabakh War and thus by putting an end to the 30-years-long occupation.

Immediately after the war, Azerbaijan launched the Great Return Program. This program symbolizes the return of IDPs to their native lands which were liberated from Armenian occupation. Comprehensive measures were taken to achieve the set goals, and multifaceted and multi-purpose logistics projects, "smart city" and "smart village" projects were successfully implemented using the potential of modern technologies.

Large-scale rehabilitation and infrastructure construction are being carried out in the territories liberated from occupation to ensure the rapid relocation of people living with the desire to be reunited with their homes.

Roads to cities, villages, and settlements destroyed by Armenia, infrastructure, settlements, historical monuments, cemeteries, and arable lands have been restored, and new residential complexes, hospitals, school buildings, etc. are being built.

The Victory Road, a symbol of the brilliant victory, was put into operation in September 2021. The construction of the Zafar road was completed in just one year.

Serious work is being done to supply electricity to liberated villages and towns. New power plants and substations are being built to connect the region to the general energy system of Azerbaijan and provide it with stable and uninterrupted electricity.

The Great Return has already begun. Infrastructure is already being formed in native Karabakh. Everything is going fast. Azerbaijan is gradually achieving all its goals.

It is planned to build new settlements in the liberated areas on the basis of the "Smart Village" concept. Earlier this year, the President of Azerbaijan instructed the relevant agencies to do so, and on April 28, the foundation of the first "Smart Village" project was laid in the liberated Zangilan region with the participation of President Ilham Aliyev.

Residents and residents of Agali village were looking forward to the completion of the "smart village" project and the return of residents to the village.

Finally, on May 27 this year, the opening ceremony of the first phase of the "Smart Village" project was held in the village of Agali, Zangilan region.

President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the ceremony.

Modern urban planning standards have been applied in Agali village. All necessary conditions have been created in this settlement to provide the population with quality administrative, medical and educational services.

Factors such as "smart" street lighting, construction of hot and cold-resistant environmental housing, waste management, installation of solar panels are part of this concept.

A pigeon monument-fountain complex has been created in the village square, which embodies the eternal peace in Azerbaijan’s ancient lands, which have been occupied for almost thirty years.

A Public Services Center has been established in the village square. The regional branch of Azerpocht LLC, ASAN service center, DOST center, and Small and Medium Business Development Center will operate here. The purpose is to provide villagers with easy access to public services. For example, villagers will not need to go to the district center to apply for ASAN or DOST services. These centers will provide more than 100 services in the field of social security and employment to rural residents online. The citizen will apply directly to the social agent of the "DOST" centers via video link, and the appeal will be resolved on the spot.

A Gillmed sewing factory, a family health center (medical center), a kindergarten, and a village secondary school have also been built in Agali village.

The construction of a 360-seat two-story school building and a 60-seat one-story kindergarten has been completed.

Modernity in the "smart village" is not limited to the established infrastructure, the application of a new approach to education also plays an important role.

Analytic group of News.Az

The article focuses on the Great Return Program

The article was published with the support of the Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MEDIA)