Working Group on Transport, Communications and High Technologies holds regular meeting in Lachin

The Working Group on Transport, Communications and High Technologies under the Interdepartmental Center of the Coordination Headquarters established for centralized resolution of issues in the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation has held a regular meeting in Lachin.

At the meeting, information of relevant entities on the work done and further plans for the implementation of tasks set in the “I State Program on the Great Return to the territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan liberated from occupation” on restoration, construction and reconstruction of transport and communication infrastructure was heard, opportunities related to the implementation of projects, emerging difficulties and ways of their solution were discussed.

Rahman Hummatov, Deputy Minister of Digital Development and Transport, head of the working group, who opened the meeting with an introductory speech, noted that the Action Plan of the State Program includes such strategic projects as rehabilitation and construction of roads and railways, construction of new airports: “The construction of some of them has been successfully completed – Victory Road, a new road bypassing the city of Lachin, Fuzuli–Hadrut road, international airports in Fuzuli and Zangilan. The work on the construction of Lachin airport continues at an accelerated pace, 32 per cent of the project work has already been completed,” he said.

Rahman Hummatov added that the work on construction of Barda–Aghdam (47.1 km) and Horadiz–Aghband (110.4 km) railway lines is under way. Work on these projects was completed by 70 and 41%, respectively.

The deputy minister noted that the work on construction of motorways on 16 projects with a total length of 1965.5 km is going on in accordance with the schedule, and most of them are roads of republican importance.

Then Rahman Hummatov informed the meeting participants about the work done and planned in the fields of TV and radio broadcasting, mobile communications and stable telecommunication network in the territories liberated from occupation.

The deputy minister said that with the beginning of the Great Return to Lachin city and the resettlement of residents to their homelands, the construction of transport and communication infrastructure is under way at a rapid pace as part of ongoing rehabilitation and construction in the city. The project for rehabilitation of the city’s intracity roads is 53 per cent complete, while work has begun on planning the intercity and intracity transport and road network in accordance with modern requirements. A project was developed to create a telecommunication network in the city to introduce GPON network based on new technologies in 700 homes. Currently, a 19.7 kilometre-long fiber optic backbone line and a 20 kilometre-long subscriber cable line have been laid. In Lachin city, the relevant infrastructure has been created to organize telecommunication services in 137 locations.

The issues of construction of road transport infrastructure in the territories liberated from occupation, including in Lachin city, organization of road transport and passenger services, as well as existing needs and opportunities were extensively discussed at the meeting.

Speaking at the meeting, Masim Mammadov, special representative of Azerbaijani  President in Lachin region, which is  part of  East Zangezur economic region, Elmir Velizade, representative of the Administration of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Avaz Gojayev, deputy chairman of the Board of Directors of  Azerbaijan Highway State Agency  and other participants noted the importance of infrastructure projects implemented in the territories liberated from occupation in accordance with the “I State Program on the Great Return”,  their implementation by relevant agencies by coordinating through  the Interagency Center, continuous monitoring of mine safety measures in the territories, resettlement of the population in the settlements to be built and ensuring their employment, upcoming tasks on other important issues.

At the meeting, relevant decisions were made on taking joint measures with relevant agencies in connection with the timely implementation of measures envisaged in the State Program in this field, as well as on the need to apply modern technologies in construction, installation and rehabilitation work in the field and other issues.

During the visit, the participants of the meeting inspected some of the projects being implemented in these territories, including construction of internal road network of Lachin city, construction of telecommunication network and organization of communication services in the territories where Lachin Airport is being constructed, the participants also got acquainted with the construction of Khudaferin–Gubadli–Lachin and Horadiz–Jabrayil–Zangilan–Aghband roads, Horadiz–Aghband railway line.