Azerbaijan finance minister: 11-13% of state budget goes to Karabakh restoration

Azerbaijan's Finance Minister Sahil Babayev told a National Assembly committee discussing the 2027 budget package that capital expenditure makes up 32% of the state budget. He said that around 4-5 billion manat is allocated over the years to restore Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, and that 11-13% of the state budget goes only to Karabakh's restoration. Defence-related spending has also risen, he said, with about 4 billion manat of capital expenditure linked to building border and military infrastructure in areas Azerbaijan has not controlled for 30 years.

Babayev said the efficiency of individual projects cannot be assessed separately, but the overall picture is positive. Results of state investment programmes and the Great Return initiative are visible across all regions, and infrastructure projects in Karabakh are creating a basis for long-term economic activity. He also said some projects may face shortcomings and delays, which oversight bodies sometimes identify.