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On August 20, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the city of Ganja.

Axar.az informs the head of state and the First Lady visited the monument of National Leader Heydar Aliyev in the city center, placing bouquets of flowers in front of it.

President Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva were briefed on the ongoing construction and development projects in the city.

In preparation for the 3rd Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games, all relevant institutions in Ganja have been mobilized, and large-scale landscaping, construction, repair, and restoration projects are in progress.

The Ganja City Executive Authority and the State Agency of Azerbaijan Automobile Roads have so far renewed the asphalt surfaces of over 120 streets and carried out major repair work. Reconstruction efforts have also included several parks in the city. Additionally, street lighting has been upgraded, and new green spaces have been established in various parts of the city.

"Baku Landscaping Service" LLC has repaired the facades of 637 residential and non-residential buildings, replaced the roofing of 1,159 buildings, and upgraded lighting systems in 49 streets and avenues. Facade lighting has been modernized at 62 locations, repair and restoration work has been completed on 24 fountains, and pedestrian pathways covering 27,000 square meters have been restored.

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On August 20, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva participated in the groundbreaking ceremony for a basalt products manufacturing facility operated by “Azerbazalt” LLC in the city of Ganja.

The head of state and the First Lady were briefed on the project.

The facility will produce basalt powder and organic fertilizers derived from it. The project will be implemented in two phases, with the first phase requiring an investment of 27 million manat.

The Azerbaijan Business Development Fund, under the Ministry of Economy, holds a 30 percent stake in the project. The plant, spanning 4 hectares, is planned to produce 360,000 tons of organic fertilizers annually. Utilizing technologies from Sweden and Türkiye, the facility will use high-quality basalt extracted from the “Chaykand” deposit in Goygol District as its primary raw material. The first phase is expected to provide permanent employment for 200 people.

In the second phase, the facility will produce high-tech innovative products such as basalt fiber, filament for 3D printers, and other industrial materials. This phase will add strategic value to the project while contributing to the supply of modern and sustainable products for the defense, construction, and high-tech sectors. An additional 300 people are expected to be employed during the second phase. The products will meet domestic demand and be exported to international markets.

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On August 20, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Ganja city stadium to review the progress of ongoing construction work.

Minister of Youth and Sports Farid Gayibov briefed the head of state and the First Lady on the project.

The Ganja city stadium, originally built between 1959 and 1963 and commissioned in 1964, had seen its spectator stands deteriorate in recent years, rendering them partially unusable and limiting the facility’s operations.

Based on a decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev in 2023, an initial allocation of one million manat was provided from the President’s Reserve Fund for the design and implementation of the stadium’s reconstruction. On April 9 of the previous year, the head of state laid the foundation for the project.

Azerbaijan will host the 3rd Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) Games from September 28 to October 8 this year. While several cities and districts have been selected for the event, the opening and closing ceremonies, as well as the main competitions, will take place in Ganja. With this in mind, construction work at the city stadium has been accelerated. The stadium’s territory now includes auxiliary training fields and a Football Academy building. The stadium’s area has been expanded to 10.4 hectares, with the total area of the sports complex, including safe vehicle access, parking, and infrastructure, exceeding 12 hectares.

Constructed in accordance with UEFA’s Category 4 standards, the stadium will have a seating capacity of 15,343. It will feature designated seating for spectators with disabilities, as well as media and VIP zones. The facility will also include modern dressing rooms for players, conference rooms, medical facilities, referee rooms, technical staff areas, and other necessary spaces. Additional amenities such as ticket offices, various catering outlets, parking areas, and security checkpoints will be established. The stadium will be equipped with UEFA-compliant lighting, sound, broadcasting, internet, ventilation, security, and other essential systems. Extensive landscaping and greening works are also progressing on the stadium grounds.

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On August 20, President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the Ganja Memorial Complex to inspect the ongoing work.

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President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva visited the construction site of the Hajikend recreation complex on August 20.