The complete implementation of the schedule for withdrawal of the Armenian armed forces from the occupied territories of Azerbaijan was accomplished on December 1 with the return of Lachin district to Azerbaijan. The schedule was agreed by the trilateral statement of the Presidents of Azerbaijan and Russia, as well as the Prime Minister of Armenia, on the night of November 9th to 10th. 

According to the Defense Ministry, the personnel casualties of the armed forces of the Azerbaijan Republic totaled 2,802 soldiers. The Ministry said that search ope­rations are underway for 40 soldiers who are considered missing, as well as the work on personal identification of more than 60 people.

On December 4, at 12:00 local time, a minute of silence was declared throughout the country in memory of those who died during the war. According to the presidential decree, September 27 (the day of the commencement of military operations) will be celebrated in Azerbaijan as the Day of Remembrance of people who fell in the Patriotic War, and November 8 (the date of liberation of the city of Shusha) as the Victory Day which is going to be a non-working day.

Economic recovery 

In December, Azerbaijan started wor­king on the plan for the infrastructure restoration in the liberated territories. The government submitted the 2021 draft state budget to the parliament on December 21. The Ministry of Finance stated that the draft budget would focus on recovery work in the liberated territories, on creation of social, economic, energy, utilities and transport infrastructures there, as well as on creation of conditions for li­ving and business activities of citizens who will return to their land.  The draft state budget provides for 2.2 billion manats (1.1 billion euros) for the recovery work in the liberated territories. The meeting of the Working Group on Transport, Communications and High Technologies of the Interdepartmental Center under the Coordination Headquarters, established by the President of Azerbaijan for centrali­zed settlement of issues in the liberated territories, was held and focused on construction of transport and communication infrastructure. According to APA reports, the meeting took place with the participation of the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Interdepartmental Center Hikmat Hajiyev, Minister of Transport, Communications and High Technologies of Azerbaijan Rashad Nabiyev and representatives of re­levant government agencies.

Representatives of the Ministry of Transport, Communications and High Techno­logies, State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads, Azerbaijan Airlines CJSC and the Agency for Mine Clearance of the Territories of Azerbaijan discussed priority projects which are ongoing or planned to be implemented in the liberated territories. 

Besides, they discussed construction of telecommunication and postal infrastructure, construction of the Fizuli airport, railways and highways. Information about implementation of projects on mine clearance of the territories was presented at the meeting.

Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov said that part of the restoration work has already begun. It concerns the construction of motor roads and railways. At the same time, the country’s authorities announced that companies from countries which demonstrated friendly relations to Azerbaijan during the war can join the restoration work.

Addressing the meeting of the CIS Heads of State Council on December 18, President Ilham Aliyev said that the first contract has already been signed with a Turkish company, and the second contract project will be signed with a company from Italy. Aliyev also called on companies from the CIS countries to participate more actively in contract works.

President offers cooperation to Armenia 

President Ilham Aliyev offered cooperation to Armenia - at the joint press confe­rence held on December 10 with President of Turkey Recep Tayyip Erdogan, I. Aliyev stated that a new platform for cooperation should be created in the region.

“All countries in the region participating in this platform will only benefit. We have a traditional trilateral format of cooperation between Turkey, Azerbaijan and Georgia. There are also Azerbaijan-Russia-Iran and Turkey−Russia−Iran platforms of cooperation. We can generalize all these platforms by combining them into a single one. If the Armenian leadership draws the right conclusions from the war, renounces its groundless claims and looks to the future, they can take a place on this platform. We are open for it. The hostility between the two countries must stop. We must close this page and put an end to this enmity”, Aliyev said.

Thus, the involvement of all the countries of the region in the process of restoration of vital activity, and an active creative position, creation of investment-attractive climate and attraction of international financial structures will help to give a boost to multi-vector development of the region.