President: Broad international interaction needed for demining liberated territories

"After the war ended, we have more than 200 military and civilians who have been killed or seriously injured because of the mines," Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev said at a meeting with participants of the international conference 'South Caucasus: Development and Cooperation,' answering the question from Brenda Shaffer, a professor at Naval Postgraduate School (US).

Report quotes the head of state as saying demining process takes time and finances.

"The demining agency was created many years ago, and now we're increasing the number of personnel and purchasing the new machines including the very sophisticated like drones which can detect the mines contaminated area. So far, we had groups of Turkish specialists who helped us to demine, but of course, we will need broad international cooperation," the head of state said.

He noted that 'Armenia was not even reprimanded for that terrible behavior, and we find mines now which are newly planted.'

"We gave them from 10 to 20 days to leave the territories which they had to leave based on the agreement signed on 10th of November, but they used it for planting mines, burning houses, which they didn't build but settled, for cutting trees and doing other ecological disasters," the Azerbaijani leader said.