Ilham Aliyev's AzTV interview during Nakhchivan visit: industrial park, energy projects and Zangezur Corridor
Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Nakhchivan
On 11 August, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and First Vice-President Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic. It was Aliyev’s 17th visit to Nakhchivan since he became president.
During the visit, officials held foundation-laying ceremonies and opened several facilities. Aliyev also visited historical sites and presented battle flags to military units.
The visit ended with an interview with Azerbaijan Television (AzTV), in which Aliyev outlined his plans for Nakhchivan’s development.
The interview focused on the autonomous republic’s economic and social development, energy security and transport infrastructure. Aliyev also discussed Nakhchivan’s place in Azerbaijan’s broader strategy, particularly its future development in conjunction with Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, territories that came under Baku’s control after the Second Karabakh War.
Key events during the visit
During the visit to Nakhchivan, President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva inspected work at the Shams-1 and Garbi Ufug solar power plants, which have a combined capacity of 50 MW.
One of the key events was the laying of the foundation stone for the Nakhchivan Industrial Park. It will be Azerbaijan’s second-largest industrial park by area, after the Sumgayit Industrial Park. A 300 MW thermal power plant is also planned for the site.
Nakhchivan’s total generating capacity currently stands at around 200 MW. Once the new plant comes online, this will increase by roughly half.
The visit programme also included:
- the opening of the Nakhchivan Regional DOST Centre;
- the presentation of new electric buses and an inspection of railway infrastructure reconstruction works;
- the laying of the foundation stone for the Nakhchivan hotel complex, which is expected to be completed by around 2028;
- the laying of the foundation stone for a social housing complex;
- an inspection of restoration work at the Momine Khatun Mausoleum and the unveiling of a monument to architect Ajami Nakhchivani;
- the presentation of Nakhchivan’s General Development Plan through 2044, which envisages expanding the city and increasing its population;
- the presentation of battle flags to new commando units of the Separate Combined Arms Army.
Key points from the AzTV interview
Aliyev described his visit to Nakhchivan as a “sign of the autonomous republic’s comprehensive development”. He said every visit should produce concrete results. He highlighted strengthening defence capabilities, energy security, job creation, preserving historical and cultural heritage, and developing transport links as key priorities.
- Defence and governance
Aliyev said Nakhchivan’s geographical position – particularly its lack of a direct land connection with mainland Azerbaijan – requires special attention to the region’s defence. He highlighted the creation of the Separate Combined Arms Army and new commando units as key steps.
According to the president, “Azerbaijan’s Armed Forces carry weight in the region”. He also said Nakhchivan had introduced a system of special presidential representatives, similar to the model used in Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur. Aliyev said the benefits of this system of governance were already becoming apparent.
- Energy
Nakhchivan has been fully supplied with gas for around 15 years, Aliyev said, thanks to a gas swap agreement with Iran.
The president also placed particular emphasis on the region’s solar energy potential. He said Nakhchivan was Azerbaijan’s most favourable region for solar power generation. More than 600 hectares of land have already been allocated for the development of this sector. The potential is estimated at at least 500 MW and could reach 1 GW in the future.
Aliyev also highlighted the growing role of the private sector. Projects to build solar power plants with a combined capacity of 50 MW are already under way.
The president described electricity exports as a strategic priority. Iran and Turkey are currently the main destinations, but Azerbaijan ultimately hopes to export electricity from Nakhchivan to the European market as well.
- Zangezur Corridor – TRIPP
Aliyev said that “the creation of the Zangezur Corridor was our initiative”, recalling that connecting mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan, an integral part of the country, had remained one of Baku’s strategic goals for many years.
He said he had insisted that a provision on the corridor be included in the trilateral statement signed by Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on 10 November 2020. Aliyev claims the Armenian side did not want to agree to this, but had no other alternative because continuing the war was not in its interests.
Noting that there had been no practical progress on the issue for five years, Aliyev said a solution emerged after the Washington summit on 8 August 2025, when the TRIPP project (Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity) was launched.
Speaking about the current state of the work, the president said the Horadiz-Aghband highway was almost complete, with only minor technical issues remaining. He said construction of the railway was also progressing rapidly.
Aliyev added that a project for power transmission lines linking mainland Azerbaijan with Nakhchivan through Armenia had already been prepared, and locations for the pylons had been identified.
Aliyev predicted that these projects would eventually turn Nakhchivan into one of the region’s key transport and energy hubs.
- A unified development concept
The president stressed that Nakhchivan, Eastern Zangezur and Karabakh should develop under a unified concept. He said the geographical proximity of the three regions requires a common approach to their development.
Aliyev noted that master plans for cities in the territories that came under Azerbaijan’s control after the Second Karabakh War had already been approved. He also said he had ordered the preparation of a similar document for Nakhchivan. The “Nakhchivan City Development Master Plan through 2044” was presented to the president during the current visit.
Speaking about the region’s tourism potential, Aliyev said Nakhchivan had significant opportunities thanks to its rich historical heritage, scenic landscapes and clean air. At the same time, he acknowledged that the hotel infrastructure remained underdeveloped and that the existing hotels were generally of a low standard, hindering the growth of tourism.
He said that to address the problem, construction had begun on a new five-star hotel complex in the city centre. The project is expected to be completed around 2028.
Ilham Aliyev’s visit to Nakhchivan
