Petre Mamradze: Hosting WUF13 in Baku major event for South Caucasus

Organizing such a prestigious forum on urbanization under UN auspices in Baku is of great importance not only for Azerbaijan but for the entire South Caucasus, Petre Mamradze, former head of Georgia's Presidential Administration and political analyst, told Report.

Speaking about the 13th Session of the World Urban Forum (WUF13), Mamradze noted that Georgia is well aware of how Baku has been rebuilt in recent years.

"At the same time, we all see that large‑scale construction and reconstruction works are underway in Karabakh, in territories that were under occupation for many years. After restoring its territorial integrity, Azerbaijan is now developing the region in line with modern urban planning concepts," he stated.

The expert emphasized that this is not only about restoring destroyed buildings but about creating new cities and living spaces that meet 21st‑century standards. In this regard, the forum in Baku will be highly beneficial.

Mamradze also pointed out that Georgia, especially Tbilisi, is experiencing intensive construction and development: "Today, both in Tbilisi and across Georgia, extensive reconstruction projects are being carried out. Therefore, now is the time to build, not to destroy. Such a forum will serve as an important platform for experience‑sharing and cooperation among regional countries."