Special session at WUF13: “Cities at the heart of connectivity: urban reconstruction and regional cooperation”
Baku, May 19, AZERTAC
A special session themed “Cities at the Heart of Connectivity: Urban Reconstruction and Regional Cooperation” was organized as part of the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13) held in Baku, on May 19.
Speaking at the event, Azerbaijan's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Jeyhun Bayramov, emphasized that new transport corridors, railways, highways, energy infrastructure, and digital networks integrate reconstruction areas into broader regional and international economic systems. He stated that these investments promote mobility, trade, investment, tourism, and employment, while simultaneously strengthening regional interdependence and long-term stability.
In his speech, Minister of Energy Parviz Shahbazov stated that the cities of the future will no longer be evaluated by their size, but by their energy efficiency, technological advancement, and regional connectivity. According to him, connectivity holds strategic importance in modern geopolitical and geo-economic realities, and energy lines, transport corridors, fiber-optic cables, and electricity interconnectors are becoming the new “arteries” of the global system.
Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov noted that Azerbaijan has resolved one of the most complex and long-standing territorial conflicts in the region. He stated that Azerbaijan has succeeded in reducing its poverty rate from 49 percent to 5 percent over the past two decades.
Anar Guliyev, National Coordinator of WUF13 and Chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, pointed out that for more than the past five years, Azerbaijan has been implementing one of the most extensive and comprehensive reconstruction programs in the recent history of the region. He recalled that during the period of occupation, approximately 20 percent of Azerbaijan's internationally recognized territories remained occupied, hundreds of cities, towns, and villages were demolished, vital infrastructure was destroyed, and severe damage was inflicted upon cultural heritage. The Committee Chairman noted that following the liberation of the territories, Azerbaijan entered a new phase, launching activities focused on reconstruction, integration, and sustainable regional development.
Minister of Digital Development and Transport Rashad Nabiyev emphasized that Azerbaijan has transformed into one of the critical transport hubs in the Eurasian space. According to the Minister, 17 million tons of cargo were transported through the territory of Azerbaijan last year. He stated that new logistics hubs, free economic zones, and urban centers are taking shape around transport corridors, emphasizing that the key question lies in how cities will be developed along these corridors.
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