ICYF-ERC Director General Mr. Elmaddin Mehdiyev attended the briefing for Heads of missions, military attaches and honorary consuls organized within the International Day for Mine Awareness and Assistance in Mine Action, at ADA University, on 5 April 2021.
The event moderated by Mr. Fariz Ismailzade, Vice-Rector of ADA University was addressed by Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan – Head of Foreign Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration of Azerbaijan, Ms. Charu Bista, Acting Resident Representative of UNDP in Azerbaijan, Mr. Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA), landmine victim Mr. Asif Ahmadov, Mr. Umid Mirzayev, Chairman of the International Eurasian Press Foundation and Mr. Hafiz Safikhanov, Chairman of the Azerbaijani Campaign against Landmines Public Union.
Heads and representatives of diplomatic missions in Baku were informed in detail on the calamitous situation in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan with regard to the landmines (the estimated number is more than one million) planted by Armenia during the 3-decade long occupation of the Karabakh region and seven adjacent districts of Azerbaijan, as a result of Armenia’s refusal to release the maps of minefields though the conflict in Karabakh region of Azerbaijan ended on 10 November 2020.
According to ANAMA the number of victims of landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs) in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan from 10 November 2020 to date is 32 injured and 18 deaths. In general, the number of victims of landmines and UXOs in Azerbaijan since 1992 (the first Karabakh war) is 2806 injured and 639 deaths, which is twice more than in the whole South Caucasus region.
The cleared area by ANAMA between 2000 and 10 November 2020 is more than 547 million sq.m, while the number of the destroyed landmines and UXOs is above 800 thousand. Since 10 November 2020, ANAMA has cleared more than 14 million sq.m and destroyed 3.481 landmines/UXOs in the liberated territories.
The speakers of the briefing underlined the importance of international collaboration and awareness raising to fight the danger posed by landmines in the world, including in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, and called upon the international community to put the necessary efforts to force Armenia to release the maps of the minefields planted by Armenia in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, once occupied by Armenia.
The briefing ended with Q&A session.