Azerbaijan hosts second international conference on demining in Aghdam

The second international humanitarian conference on demining entitled "Mine Threat Control - the Path to Sustainable Development" is being held in Azerbaijan’s liberated Aghdam district.

The conference is being held jointly by the Azerbaijan Mine Action Agency (ANAMA) and the United Nations (UN), according to a Report correspondent sent to Aghdam.

The event’s second day in Baku will be held in the capital Baku.

The conference focuses on informing the international community about the scope of the mine problem and its consequences. In addition, given the global nature of the problem.

It also aims to present the national and global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for humanitarian demining, strengthening joint partnerships and support in this direction.

The conference is attended by about 160 officials from more than 50 countries, including former heads of state and government, deputies of the parliaments of several countries, senior staff of the UN headquarters, representatives of reputable international organizations, agencies working in the field of mine action, as well as representatives diplomatic corps accredited in Azerbaijan.

The Karabakh (Garabagh) and East Zangazur regions of Azerbaijan have been heavily mined by Armenia’s forces since the 1990s. Following the Soviet Union’s dissolution in 1991, Armenia launched a full-blown military assault against Azerbaijan.

The bloody war continued until a ceasefire was signed in 1994, resulting in Armenia’s occupation of 20 per cent of Azerbaijan’s internationally recognized territories. During the war, over 30,000 Azerbaijanis were killed, and one million were forced to flee their homes in a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign conducted by Armenia.

On September 27, 2020, the decades-old conflict between the two countries reignited after Armenia’s forces deployed in occupied Azerbaijani lands shelled military positions and civilian settlements of Azerbaijan.

During the counter-attack operations that lasted 44 days, Azerbaijani forces liberated over 300 settlements, including the cities of Jabrayil, Fuzuli, Zangilan, Gubadli, and Shusha, from the Armenian occupation. The war ended with the signing of a tripartite statement on November 10, 2020, by Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, under which Armenia also returned the occupied Aghdam, Kalbajar, and Lachin districts to Azerbaijan.

Since the end of hostilities, the Azerbaijani government has been carrying out demining operations in the liberated territories to expedite the return of internally displaced Azerbaijanis to their homes. Despite extensive efforts, demining operations face many challenges due to Armenia’s refusal to hand over maps displaying the locations of the landmines.

The Azerbaijani National Agency for Mine Action reported that the maps provided by Armenia were just 2 per cent effective in mine action. According to the Azerbaijani government data, international experts estimate it will take nearly 30 years and $25 billion to solve issues related to demining.