Azerbaijan accelerates reconstruction with sweeping demining achievements PHOTO

At a session convened in Jabrayil, the Working Group on Mine and Unexploded Ordnance Clearance, operating under the Interdepartmental Center of the Coordination Headquarters for addressing issues in a centralized manner in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories—reviewed the latest developments, ongoing objectives, and pressing challenges in humanitarian demining efforts.

The group’s members initially assessed progress made in the villages of Horadiz (Fuzuli district) and Horovlu (Jabrayil district), including operations involving the controlled detonation of discovered mines and unexploded ordnance. This was followed by a formal meeting held within Jabrayil district, Caliber.Az reports via local media.

Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) and head of the working group, provided a comprehensive briefing on current demining projects designed to facilitate the sustainable redevelopment of these territories. Suleymanov reported that, to date, approximately 228,690 hectares have been successfully cleared of mines and other explosive remnants of war, with 84,146 hectares specifically demined across Jabrayil, Gubadli, and Zangilan districts. Furthermore, over 210,000 explosive devices have been located and neutralized.

Vahid Hajiyev, Special Representative of the President of Azerbaijan for Jabrayil, Gubadli, and Zangilan districts, underscored the critical importance of these clearance operations. He highlighted that the accelerated reconstruction and rehabilitation initiatives, directed by the Azerbaijani leadership, are fundamentally aimed at enabling the safe and sustainable return of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to their liberated homelands. Hajiyev stressed that mine clearance and the disposal of unexploded ordnance remain among the highest priorities to ensure security and stability in these areas.

Other working group members also delivered detailed reports outlining the scope and progress of demining activities conducted by their respective organizations, emphasizing continued coordination and commitment to overcoming the remaining challenges posed by war remnants.

By Vafa Guliyeva