EU allocates funds for demining and reconstruction of Karabakh

Baku/30.11.22/ Turan: The European Union supported the 2022 Regional Campaign “South Caucasus without landmines”, which this year started on November 30 - the Day of Solidarity with Victims of Landmines and Other Unexploded Weapons of War, and their communities in the South Caucasus". The EU supported the same campaign in 2019 and 2021. This was announced at a commemorative event held in Baku on November 30 by the Caucasus Center for Policy Studies, Links Europe and the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan.

At the meeting, Azerbaijani public and state organizations involved in mine clearance and assistance to victims of mine and shell explosions discussed topical issues.

Fikret Aliyev, main expert of the ANAMA State Demining Agency, said that the agency is provided with funding, the Azerbaijani government pays for the use of expensive drones that scan the territory in search of mines and shells. The density of mining of territories in the conflict zone is high, so there is a lot of work to be done and the need for funding also from other sources.

He also noted that the Armenian side used unacceptable prohibitions on the use, stockpiling, production and transfer of anti-personnel mines and on their destruction (Ottawa Convention). They were even used when the Armenians left Lachin.

From November 2020 to the present, up to 250 people have become victims of mines, mostly civilians. The head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan, Peter Michalko, said that the EU provided assistance to ANAMA in the amount of more than 6 million euros. He believes that financial support should be provided to residents of the liberated regions returning to their homes. An important place in this work should be given to public organizations involved in mine action education, job creation, and health protection of returning migrants.

"The EU allocated 2 million euros to Azerbaijan for construction and restoration work in Karabakh," Mikhalko said.

He also spoke about the importance of compliance by the countries of the region with the Mine Ban Treaty (Ottawa Convention). However, the problem is that the countries of the region have not acceded to this convention.

In a letter from British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev on the occasion of the start of the IX Global Baku Forum in July 2022, Azerbaijan was invited to join the Ottawa Convention.

The event was attended by civilians injured by the explosion of Armenian mines. They spoke about the difficulties that the consequences of mine explosions brought and called on the world community to increase efforts to prevent the use of mines.

The Landmine Free South Caucasus Campaign is a regional event involving organizations in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia working together with international partners. The campaign is coordinated by LINKS Europe and supported by the European Union.—0—