Samir Sharifov: Additional revenues and saved funds will be directed to Karabakh firstly - INTERVIEW
After Azerbaijan regained its territorial integrity as a result of the 44-day war, reconstruction and restoration of the liberated territories and reintegration of the Karabakh and East Zangazur regions into the national economy became the main priority. At the same time, continuous activities are being carried out to strengthen the social security of the military personnel who secured the victory. Finance Minister Samir Sharifov answered the Report's questions regarding both these issues and the state debt:
- In the state budget of Azerbaijan for 2024, 3.83 billion manats ($2.25 billion) are planned to be allocated for the reconstruction and restoration of the liberated territories, about 20% less than last year. Can this amount be increased later? How do you evaluate the possibilities of attracting loans from international financial institutions for the financing of projects in Karabakh and East Zangazur?
- I am not in favor of looking at the issue as a reduction of funds. First of all, we are trying to maintain the level of funding for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the liberated territories. There is no doubt that the financing of each event is related to the state's financial capabilities. We allocate funds to projects whenever possible. Last year, initially only 3 billion manats ($1.76 billion) were allocated from the budget for these purposes. However, later the state's financial capabilities increased, and in June 2023, according to the recommendation of the president of the country, the budget was revised.
