Azerbaijan’s policy is to ensure its further rapid development and restore its liberated lands, President Ilham Aliyev said on Tuesday.

The head of state made the remarks at a groundbreaking ceremony for the 230 MW Garadagh Solar Power Plant to be built in Azerbaijan by UAE’s Masdar company, News.Az reports. 

“This [liberated lands] is a large area, more than 10,000 square kilometers. At the same time, we want to ensure the sustainable development of our country,” he said.

“It is an axiom that no country can develop without electricity. This is the first condition and it is the main condition. Fortunately, Azerbaijan has rich oil and gas fields, and these fields are being successfully developed and operated,” the Azerbaijani leader stressed.

He noted that there is a modern infrastructure, and transport, communications and power lines connect Azerbaijan with export markets.

“There is a strong political resolve. We have close partnerships with almost all countries of the world. We have many friends, one of whom is from the United Arab Emirates. Taking into account all the investment interests, the business interests, I must also say that if there weren’t close and friendly relations between our countries, we probably would not have seen this project. So a combination of all these factors creates a wonderful opportunity. I think we are using this opportunity very effectively and we will continue to do so,” President Aliyev added.

News.Az