Azerbaijan briefs CICA delegation on urgent mine threat in liberated territories PHOTO

Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA), recently met with a delegation led by Kairat Sarybay, the Secretary General of the Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia (CICA).

During the meeting, ANAMA provided an in-depth briefing on the scale of the mine problem in Azerbaijan, highlighting the severe challenges posed by landmines in the liberated territories, the agency told Caliber.Az. 

The agency shared insights into the ongoing humanitarian demining operations in areas previously occupied by Armenia.

Discussions also focused on the possibility of raising the issue of landmines in Azerbaijan at the international level during the country’s chairmanship in CICA. Additionally, the delegation explored the potential for sharing Azerbaijan’s demining experience with CICA member countries, with an emphasis on the humanitarian and security aspects of such efforts.

The mine problem in Azerbaijan gained particular urgency following the recapture of territories previously under Armenian occupation. Credible reports suggest that Armenia may have deliberately planted mines as part of its military strategy, with the aim of inflicting harm on civilians and hindering the safe return of displaced populations. This has created a significant security risk to the region.

In response, Azerbaijan has launched a comprehensive demining operation, bringing together key government agencies such as ANAMA, the Ministry of Defence, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the State Border Service. These agencies are working in unison to clear the liberated areas of mines, prioritizing the safety of returning citizens and enabling them to rebuild their lives in the region.

Following the conflict, Armenia provided Azerbaijan with mine maps of some of the liberated territories. In exchange, Azerbaijan released several Armenian saboteurs who had been detained during the war. However, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev has noted that the accuracy of these mine maps was limited, with the maps proving to be only 25% reliable.

According to ANAMA, the maps provided by Armenia have shown to be just 2% effective in mine clearance operations. Azerbaijan's government has stated that international experts estimate it will take nearly 30 years and $25 billion to fully resolve the mine threat in the country.

By Tamilla Hasanova