The civilian population will return to the cities of Nagorno-Karabakh

The Azerbaijani authorities plan to begin the return of the civilian population to the city of Lachin and a number of other settlements in Karabakh in 2023. This was stated on Friday by the head of the State Committee for Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons of Azerbaijan Rovshan Rzayev. "According to the instruction of the head of state, this year the return of residents of the cities of Lachin, Shusha and Zangilan, as well as the villages of Zabukh and Sus of the Lachin district should be ensured," the press service of the department quotes him as saying.



Rzayev added that the structure headed by him is engaged in the implementation of the state program for the return of the Azerbaijani population of Karabakh and adjacent areas who became refugees and internally displaced persons as a result of the conflict.

On November 16, 2022, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev approved the "State Program of a large return to the liberated territories of Azerbaijan". The document provides for the implementation of a number of measures and projects to ensure the return of the civilian population to these territories. The state program is designed for the period from 2022 to 2026.