Azerbaijan to open DOST Centers in liberated lands

By Azernews

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan will open DOST Centers in its territories recently liberated from the Armenian occupation, Deputy Chairman of DOST Agency Board Seymur Aliyev has said.

The construction of DOST centers under the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population will begin after the completion of demining operations in the formerly occupied territories, Aliyev said.

There are plans to open a branch of the DOST Center in historic Shusha city, he said, adding that “DOST Agency foresees the establishment of a large regional center either in Jabrayil or in Fuzuli.”

Another DOST Center No.5 is expected to open in capital Baku with more DOST Centers to be opened in Barda and Guba regions, and Azerbaijan’s second largest city Ganja.

Earlier the country's Labor and Social Protection Minister Sahil Babayev emphasized that the work has already begun to establish the DOST center in Shusha, upon the Azerbaijani president's instructions.

Agency for Sustainable and Operational Social Security (DOST) is a governmental agency set up by presidential order in 2018 to improve governance in employment, social protection, and labor. The first agency center was opened in Baku’s Yasamal district in March 2019. "DOST" centers are established to provide employment services, labor, social protection, and guarantees, as well as other services in accordance with the activities of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population of Azerbaijan.

Currently, work is underway to restore Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.

Earlier, Azerbaijan Economy Minister Mikayil Jabbarov stated that the restoration and reconstruction work in recently-liberated territories will be carried out in four stages. The initial stage includes the solution of the issues of governance and security, infrastructure, while the subsequent stages include the solution of the issues of social services activities, reconstruction, and development of the economy.