Chair: Mine clearance must become part of urban planning in Azerbaijan

Clearing mines from Azerbaijan’s liberated territories must be treated not only as a humanitarian and security issue but also as an integral part of urban planning, spatial planning and long-term regional development, Anar Guliyev, chairman of the State Committee for Urban Planning and Architecture, said.

Speaking at a panel discussion during the 4th International Conference on Mine Action in Baku, Guliyev said post-conflict reconstruction required a shift from the approach of clearing territory first and building afterwards to an integrated model, Caliber.Az reports, citing local media.

He said a master plan for the region had been developed and submitted, covering about 13,600 square kilometres and including 12 cities, 11 settlements and 286 villages.

More than 30 schools and pre-school educational institutions are operating in the settlements, while more than 2,100 students are studying at Karabakh University, he added.

Guliyev also said co-operation with the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) was playing an important role in spatial planning.

By Aghakazim Guliyev