International cooperation is important in demining, the Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Administration of the President of Azerbaijan, Hikmat Hajiyev, told an event themed “Team Europe Initiative on Mine Action in Azerbaijan,” Report informs.
He thanked the European Union for giving importance to the landmine problem in Azerbaijan:
“Indeed, it is a problem that arose as a result of the occupation of Armenia for 30 years. On a global scale, Azerbaijan comes first in terms of mined areas. This also creates a problem for IDPs to return to their homelands. Countless landmines buried by Armenia are a big problem in the return of 800,000 internally displaced people and humanitarian activities.”
Hajiyev noted that the help of the international community is important in this field: “It is planned to hold an international event on the landmine problem in Zangilan in May 2024. Our cultural heritage has also suffered a lot as a result of the landmine problem.”