ISTANBUL

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on Tuesday visited the cities of Fuzuli and Shusha in the country’s Karabakh region together with his visiting Kazakh counterpart Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who arrived in the country on an official visit a day earlier.

Aliyev and Tokayev first visited the city of Fuzuli, where they were informed by local authorities on completed reconstruction works in the city and those that will be carried out, according to a statement by the Azerbaijani presidency.

The statement said it was reported that by 2040, the administrative territory of Fuzuli will be increased to 1,943 hectares and its population to 50,000 people.

Another statement said the two presidents attended the opening ceremony of the Kurmangazy Children's Creativity Center, built by Kazakhstan and named after 19th-century Kazakh composer Kurmangazy Sagyrbayuly.

“During the opening ceremony, the heads of state met with Azerbaijan's culture and art figures, residents of the city of Fuzuli, and children who will study at the Kurmangazy Children's Creativity Center,” the statement said.

Aliyev and Tokayev later traveled to the city of Shusha, according to a later statement, where they were briefed on the master plan of the city and viewed multiple local monuments.

The two presidents also viewed other infrastructure in the city, including a creative center, a mosque, and a museum.

Tokayev arrived in Azerbaijan on Monday on an official visit, where he held talks with his Azerbaijani counterpart and attended the first Supreme Interstate Council meeting between Baku and Astana.

Both presidents later attended a ceremony where their delegations signed multiple documents aiming to deepen bilateral cooperation between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan in fields such as business, communications, transport, education, oil, and culture.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​