National agency draws int’l attention to mine threat in Azerbaijan

By Azernews

By Vugar Khalilov

The Azerbaijani Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) is holding a series of meetings in Europe to draw international attention to the mine problems in the country, Azernews reports, citing the agency.

The meetings on humanitarian demining are being held in Luxembourg, Belgium, and Switzerland on June 20-22, 2022, with the participation of ANAMA, the Secretariat of the Interdepartmental Center of the Coordination Headquarters for rehabilitation and reconstruction of the liberated territories, and the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry.

The meetings with several international organizations in Belgium and Switzerland are intended to discuss the scope of Azerbaijan's mine problem, its consequences, obstacles to rehabilitation and reconstruction work due to high levels of mine contamination, and call to the international community and donors operating in this area, the agency stressed.

It added that landmines and explosive remnants of war are a serious threat and obstacle to peace, human life, health, and development in many parts of the world.

Joint efforts in this direction, as well as international support within the framework of mutually beneficial cooperation, will contribute to the elimination of the humanitarian consequences of Azerbaijan's existing mine problem and its impediment to long-term peace in the region, as well as economic projects and the resumption of life in the liberated areas, the statement said.

ANAMA, along with partner countries, is carrying out demining activities on the liberated territories. Moreover, the State Border Service and the Defense Ministry are also engaged in demining activities in the liberated lands.

Armenia alleged it handed over to Azerbaijan all minefield maps of liberated territories following the talks through the mediation of the Russian Defense Ministry on December 4, 2021.

Earlier, Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov stated that the low accuracy of Armenia's minefield maps of Azerbaijani liberated territories slows the mine-clearance process.

"The demining operations are underway, but people are still losing their lives. From the end of the 44-day Second Karabakh War to the present, over 200 people have become victims of mine explosions in liberated lands," Bayramov said at that point.

He added that the high mine contamination of the liberated territories hinders the return of former internally displaced persons to their native lands.

Armenia deliberately and constantly planted mines on Azerbaijani territories, in violation of the 1949 Geneva Convention, thereby being a major threat to regional peace, security, and cooperation.