President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev and Ramzan Kadyrov, Head of the Chechen Republic of the Russian Federation, had lunch together on October 10.

President Aliyev and President Kadyrov also visited Baku White City, according to Azertac.

photo: AZERTAC

Ruslan Sadikhov, Executive Director of the Baku White City project, has briefed Kadyrov on the district’s infrastructure, facilities and amenities.

The area was formerly known as “Black City” because of its long history of oil industry pollution. For more than 150 years, the territory was affected by oil waste and contained numerous oil pools.

At the initiative of the president of Azerbaijan, a major environmental redevelopment project was launched to transform the polluted area into a modern residential district.

The Baku White City project officially began on December 24, 2011, with the participation of President Aliyev and First Lady Mehriban Aliyeva.

Designed around environmental sustainability and smart-city principles, the district features wide streets, green spaces, contemporary international sculptures and modern urban-planning solutions.

The project is considered a prominent example of urban redevelopment in Baku, illustrating the transformation of a former industrial area into a modern urban environment.