Reconstruction of Shusha Began Despite Absence of Highway from Fizuli

As the Caucasian Knot wrote, the Azerbaijani mobile operator Azercell Telecom already in November launched a 4G network in the city of Shusha (the Armenian name is Shushi), which was taken during the autumn escalation of the conflict. By the end of November, emergency work was carried out on the water supply system damaged during the fighting.

The capture of Shusha in November became a key event in the autumn aggravation of the Karabakh conflict - after that, Azerbaijani troops found themselves in close proximity to the capital of the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic, Stepanakert. With the loss of Shusha, Armenia agreed to conclude a peace agreement, according to which the Karabakh authorities lost control over two-thirds of the territory. The territories are indicated on the map published on the Caucasian Knot. Also, the Caucasian Knot published a map of the deployment of Russian peacekeepers in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Part of former residents returned to Shusha

Shusha is quickly being restored, Avaz Hasanov, head of the Society for Humanitarian Research, told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. "The city has already established a bakery production, a confectionery workshop with a shop has been opened, a cellular telephone connection has been installed, and state television has begun broadcasting. A branch of the International Bank of Azerbaijan will open in the coming days," he said.

In addition, local offices of government agencies are being opened, including ministries and departments. "These structures employ mainly natives of the city of Shusha - thus they return to their city. On the other hand, private structures also mainly recruit internally displaced persons from Shusha. This is how the city is gradually being populated by the civilian population," Hasanov said.

The restoration of Shusha does not require such costs and time as in the case of such completely destroyed cities as Fizuli, Zangilan, Jabrail, Gubadli, or Aghdam, Hasanov pointed out. "In Shusha, the communal infrastructure and administrative buildings have been preserved. True, most of the private houses have been destroyed, but five-storey buildings have survived, and after a small repair, the returning population can be accommodated in them," Avaz Hasanov said.

Aziz Karimov, a photojournalist of the Caucasian Knot, prepared a series of reports on the destroyed cities returned under the control of Azerbaijan: about Fizuli, Aghdam, Jabrayil, and Hadrut already renamed Agoglan.

The population will return to the city as jobs open, said Togrul Juvarly, an economic observer for Turan.

"There were many cultural and educational institutions in Shusha - museums, schools, music schools, etc. In addition, the city needs life support enterprises, state institutions. After the restoration of these objects, the return of the population is possible. I think that by next autumn the process of return may begin. By this time, apartments in multi-storey buildings can be repaired and destroyed private houses can be partially rebuilt," Juvarli said.

He believes that there will be no financial problems in the restoration of Shusha. "Only in the state budget for 2021, 2.2 billion manats (1.3 billion dollars) are provided for the restoration of the liberated territories. But there are also other sources of financing - the state investment fund, possible external borrowings, investments of private investors, state-owned companies, and bank lending to projects," noted Juvarly.

The delivery of materials for the restoration of the city is carried out along the road that has not yet been completed. "The road to Shusha was laid through the forests very quickly. True, it is still unpaved and the movement along it is very difficult and takes a lot of time. But the most necessary things can already be supplied to the city. In particular, water supply has been restored in the city, and electricity will be supplied one of these days," said Juvarly to the Caucasian Knot correspondent.

In his opinion, until the road is completed, it is necessary, with the help of Russian peacekeepers, to organize communication with Shusha along alternative routes - from Gubadli through the Lachin corridor or along the previously existing highway from Fizuli to Shusha through the village of Krasny Bazar (Armenian name is Karmir Schuka). "As the Russian peacekeepers accompany and provide a corridor for the Armenian population, then why should they not do it for the Azerbaijani side. After all, as the city is returned under the control of Azerbaijan, then it must be restored so that the population can return there," Juvarli concluded.

Shusha has a prospect of becoming the cultural capital of Azerbaijan

By the middle of next spring, the construction of the first two lanes of the highway may be completed, and this will speed up the delivery of construction materials and equipment for restoration work, said Natig Jafarli, head of the Respublika Center for Economic Research.

"But before returning the population, it is necessary to conceptually define the future prospects of Shusha and its economic potential. After all, the returning population must be provided with jobs. There are different proposals. Some say that Shusha should be declared the cultural capital of Azerbaijan and a number of cultural institutions and a national conservatory should be moved there. Others propose to focus on the tourism potential of the region. But for the development of tourism there it is important to ensure maximum security," Jafarli said.

He considers the idea of ​​turning Shusha into a cultural and tourist center to be correct. "For example, in Shusha it is possible to create not only cultural institutions, musical educational and art centers, but also to hold international festivals, attracting foreign tourists here. On the one hand, this requires ensuring maximum security guarantees for participants. On the other hand, holding large international music festivals of various genres with the participation of world celebrities would be an additional guarantee of security for the city and the region and would keep the opposite side from revanchist sentiments and plans," Jafarli told the Caucasian Knot correspondent.

In his opinion, the restoration of Shusha may take from one and a half to two years.

A new road to Shusha is planned to be built in 1.5 years

The construction of a new road to Shusha began in mid-November and is in full swing, Anar Najafli, head of the press service of the State Agency for Highways of Azerbaijan, told the Caucasian Knot correspondent. According to him, the new road with a length of 101.5 kilometers starts from the village of Ahmedbeyli in the Fizuli region and will pass through the city of Fizuli, the Khojavend and Khojaly regions, including through the villages of Tugh (Armenian name is Tokh), Boyuk Taglar, Chanakhchi, Sygnag and Dashalty (Armenian name - Karintak). In total, the road will pass through 20 settlements.

The road will be four-lane, 21.5 meters wide. "Where the relief allows, one more reserve strip will be laid in both directions, and then the track width will reach 37 meters," Najafli said.

Although the road is not finished, special vehicles, trucks and SUVs are already driving along this route. To speed up the work, it is being carried out simultaneously in five areas. Two Turkish and one Azerbaijani companies are involved in the work. Before starting work, the territory is checked by specialists of the Azerbaijan Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA). According to Najafli, the construction of the new road is expected to be completed within a year and a half.

Azerbaijani power lines are being extended to Shusha

On December 25, the Azerenerji company announced the laying of a high-voltage power line in Shusha. "The Fizuli-Shusha air line with a total length of 75 kilometers will be double-circuit, which will allow transferring loads from one line to another without causing interruptions in power supply in case of an accident," the Caucasian Knot correspondent translated a message on the company's website.

According to Azerenerji, about 100 power transmission towers have already been installed and wires suspended at a distance of 15 kilometers. The planned completion date is not indicated in the publication.

As the Caucasian Knot correspondent was told in the Azerishig energy distribution company, by December 31, this company will also commission a 35 kilovolt power transmission line also laid from the direction of the city of Fizuli.

Azerishig carries out urgent work on power supply of strategic objects of state importance in the liberated territories within the framework of the Azerishig in Karabakh project. We have already provided electricity to the city of Jabrayil and the settlement of Hadrut. At this stage, the task is being completed as soon as possible to provide the city of Shusha with uninterrupted electricity. The work is hampered by the difficult mountainous and wooded terrain and severe weather conditions, with snow and frost. In addition, construction sites are cleared of mines. Despite all the difficulties, by December 31, that is, by this New Year, electricity will be supplied to Shusha. Our specialists have already restored the power grid in Shusha itself. As soon as electricity enters the city, it will be immediately distributed throughout Shusha," said the Azerishig representative.

He explained that a more powerful 110 kilovolt power transmission line being built by Azerenerji OJSC will increase energy flow, supply the local substation and create electricity reserves. Meanwhile electricity in the city is generated by generators operating on liquid fuel, the company noted.

More details about the aggravation of the Karabakh conflict on September 27 - November 9 can be found in the Caucasian Knot reference "Karabakh: an escalation of the conflict or a new war?" and the chronicle of hostilities. Caucasian Knot publishes materials about the events in the zone of the Karabakh conflict on a special thematic page Karabakh: Bad Peace or War?

Author: Faik Majid;

Source: Caucasian Knot correspondent

Source: https://www.kavkaz-uzel.eu/articles/358030/

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