Number of NGO reps visiting Shusha revealed

By Azernews

By Sabina Mammadli

To this date, over 800 representatives of non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have visited Shusha, the head of the Department for Work with NGOs and Communications under the Presidential Administration, Vusal Guliyev, said.

He noted that trips of NGO representatives to the liberated territories, during which they get acquainted with the grave consequences of the Armenian occupation, are organized on a regular basis.

According to him, during these trips, the visitors view destroyed villages as a result of vandalism directed against the material, cultural and historical heritage of the Azerbaijani people.

"At the same time, the participants in the trips can observe the progress of large-scale and intensive reconstruction and construction work carried out in Shusha and along the roads in the territories liberated from occupation," Guliyev said.

He emphasized the importance of the declaration of 2022 as the Year of Shusha by President Ilham Aliyev, taking into account the historic significance and high spiritual value of the city to the Azerbaijani people.

Another such visit to Shusha kicked off on September 8 and will last three days.

A total of 500 people will participate daily in these visits, including more than 150 NGO representatives, as well as bloggers and social activists.

In 2021, Azerbaijan allocated $1.5 billion for the reconstruction of liberated territories, followed by AZN 2.2 billion ($1.2 billion) in 2022. These funds will be used primarily to restore infrastructure (electricity, gas, water, communications, roads, education, health, and so on) as well as cultural and historical monuments.