The Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has criticised the world community for failing to provide his country with financial aid to rebuild the lands that Baku regained following the Second Karabakh War in 2020.

Ilham Aliyev made the remarks at a meeting with Maimunah Mohd Sharif, the executive director of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme.

"It is, certainly, strange that nobody is willing to help us even though almost 18 months have passed since the liberation of the lands. Only words, nothing else. There are neither idea (voiced) about a donor conference or financial support. Even well-known non-governmental organisations, well-known international foundations are turning a blind eye to what is happening in Karabakh and (Eastern) Zangezur (where reconstruction work is under way). This is causing regret," Aliyev said.

He went on to say that Azerbaijan would rebuild the regained lands and create "an example of paradise on Earth in Karabakh and Zangezur" even without foreign aid.

"We will do it at any cost. However, I think that this indifference on the part of international organisations, donor organisations, big foundations is unacceptable," he said. He said he hoped that "the UN will support Azerbaijan through its bodies and its communications channels and will communicate this important message that Azerbaijan needs support. We consider your visit as a sign of this support," he told.

Aliyev also said that Azerbaijan was facing "big challenges" as it rebuilt the regained lands but would carry out the reconstruction work anyway. "So far, we have not received even one dollar in aid from either international organisations or any country of the world. All work that we are doing, we are doing it on our own money. We will continue to do it," he said.

Aliyev also regretted that the world had failed to react to the destruction and desecration of Azerbaijani mosques in the lands that had been under Armenian control for almost three decades.

"Regrettably, the international community was silent about it during all these years of the occupation," he said. Aliyev continued "serious pressure was not exerted on Armenia" despite resolutions in support of Azerbaijan passed by the UN Security Council, the UN General Assembly and other prominent international organisations. "No sanctions were imposed on Armenia. Some countries even tried to put the aggressor and the victim of the aggression in the same cup of the scales," he said.

He also said that the report that Sharif would submit to the UN on what she saw during her trip to the regained lands was important as it would tell the world about "the barbarism of Armenians" which, he said, should be "punished." He said that during the 2020 war Azerbaijan gave Armenians "the kind of punishment that they will never forget but the aggressor should be punished on an international level as well." He went on to say that Azerbaijan sought compensation from Armenia and that Baku had already involved international organisations and groups of lawyers to help it raise this issue in the international arena.

Aliyev also said that it was not possible yet to put displaced Azerbaijanis back in their homes in the regained lands because of mines planted by Armenians. He regretted that more than 200 people had been killed or seriously injured in mine explosions there after the war.