What is the purpose of creating new economic regions?

Baku/09.07.21/ Turan: In the “Difficult Question” program of Turan agency, the expert Vahid Maharramli spoke about the economic and political opportunities of the opening economic regions in Azerbaijan.

The decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on July 7 on a new division of economic regions is fundamentally different from the previous economic division.

Thus, the number of economic regions increased from 11 to 14. The East Zangezur region was created, which included Jabrail, Kelbajar, Gubadli, Lachin, Zangilan regions, as well as the Karabakh economic region, which included the city of Khankendi, Agjabad, Aghdam, Barda, Fizuli, Khojaly, Khojavend, Shusha and Tartar districts.

The population in the economic regions should total 600-700 thousand people.

According to the expert, this decision is because the gigantic economic regions created difficulties. The new division can greatly facilitate the work of government officials.

As for the problems of the East Zangezur economic and Karabakh regions, so far their functioning is impossible due to the existing military and political obstacles. While the Russian peacekeepers are there, it is difficult to get down to work.

In addition, while the population of these areas cannot return to their places of residence. Therefore, there is no reason to expect economic benefits from the East Zangezur and Karabakh regions.

Maharramli also noted that earlier in the economic regions there were no administrative structures dealing with the solution of their problems (land reclamation, communications, market infrastructure, etc.). “Perhaps now they will appear, but it is not known what steps will be taken. The presidential decree says nothing about it.

The reduction of economic regions should contribute to the territorial organization of production. However, if everything is the same as before, i.e. economic regions will exist on paper, then nothing will change, the expert said. -0-