Azerbaijan looks to sign document on demining liberated territories with France

By Trend

Azerbaijan plans to sign a document with France in connection with demining of its territories liberated from Armenian occupation [in the 2020 Second Karabakh War], Trend reports on Oct.16 citing the Azerbaijani Mine Action Agency.

The agency’s head Vugar Suleymanov met with a delegation of the French National Commission for the Elimination of Antipersonnel Mines (CNEMA) with the participation of the French Ambassador Zacharie Gross in Baku.

At the meeting, information was provided on the demining operations carried out by the agency in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

The main purpose of the visit of the French delegation is a possible contribution to the humanitarian demining activities carried out in Azerbaijan, studying the needs of mine victims and discussing the necessary support in this area. In the near future, it’s planned to sign a document on the relevant bilateral cooperation.

Following over a month of military action to liberate its territories from Armenian occupation from late Sept. to early Nov. 2020, Azerbaijan has pushed Armenia to sign the surrender document. A joint statement on the matter was made by the Azerbaijani president, Armenia's PM, and the president of Russia.

A complete ceasefire and a cessation of all hostilities in the zone of the Karabakh conflict were introduced on Nov. 10, 2020.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, the Armenian Armed Forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts. The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations.

Following the liberation of its lands, Azerbaijan from Nov. 2020 started carrying out operations on clearing its lands from mines, booby traps, and various weapons left behind by the Armenian troops.