Official: Armenia-planted mines threaten lives of people in liberated lands

More than one and a half million mines and unexploded ordnance planted by Armenian occupation troops in the territories of Azerbaijan pose a serious threat to human life.

The statement was made by Chairperson of the State Committee for Family, Women and Children Affairs Bahar Muradova at the international conference "Empowerment of Women", Report informs.

According to her, despite this Azerbaijan offers Armenia a peaceful agenda, using opportunities for cooperation, seeks to sign a peace treaty between the parties, to achieve stable good-neighbourly relations in the South Caucasus.

Muradova said the rights of women and children were violated during the conflict: "They were doomed to countless sufferings, all their rights were violated, and many were brutally killed".

She also went on to say Azerbaijan has taken several initiatives aimed at enhancing the role and vigour of the accession movement.

Work has been carried out to make the Non-Aligned Movement find its place and strength.

According to her, the NAM has played an important role in uniting global efforts under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan.

Muradova said the NAM member countries should unite efforts against neo-colonialism.

In addition, Muradova called it necessary to jointly fight against countries pursuing a policy of neo-colonialism.

According to her, at a time when the international community was at a loss in the face of such an unprecedented challenge as the COVID-19 pandemic, under the chairmanship of Azerbaijan, the Non-Aligned Movement played an important role in consolidating global efforts.

“The movement's online summit in May 2020 and the subsequent UN General Assembly special session on the issue in December were clear examples of this,” she said.

She also recalled that several months ago, at a meeting of ministers of the Coordination Bureau in July 2023, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev announced that work was underway to create a women's platform for the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM).

“And today Azerbaijan, as the chairman, together with other member countries, is taking practical steps in this direction. Today, you and I are laying the first cornerstones of an initiative through which we can unite around ideas for the protection and empowerment of women and girls,” she said.

Muradova also emphasized the importance of joint action against the colonial plans of a number of states that still prefer the policy of neo-colonialism.

An important issue is also the restoration of the violated rights of women and children who suffered from the severe consequences of the neo-colonialism policies.