Azernews.Az

Akbar Novruz

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Armenia’s landmine maps are only 25 percent accurate and pose a serious obstacle to peace in the South Caucasus, Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Aykhan Hajizada said in an interview with Envoy magazine, Azernews reports.

Hajizada stated: “After international pressure, Armenia provided some maps, but these covered only a small portion of the landmine-planted areas and were only 25% accurate. Over 55% of recent landmine cases have occurred outside the areas covered by these maps.”

He also noted that while the Armenian side had initially claimed there were some 400,000 mines, “the actual figure was closer to 1.5 million.”

“This sort of behaviour displayed by Armenia in relation to the landmine threat is yet another setback to the peace and confidence-building measures taken during the post-conflict period in the region,” Hajizada added.

Azerbaijan continues to call on the international community to take a firmer stance against the landmine threat and pressure Armenia to release complete and reliable maps. “It is crucial that Armenia provide accurate maps of all landmine sites to allow for the safe return of IDPs and the rebuilding of affected regions,” he emphasized.

According to Hajizada, Azerbaijan is stepping up efforts to raise awareness globally, noting that “in 2023, humanitarian demining was formally recognised as the 18th National Sustainable Development Goal in Azerbaijan, and we are striving to have it recognised as the 18th Global Sustainable Development Goal by the United Nations.”

He also highlighted Azerbaijan’s role in establishing a Special Contact Group on Humanitarian Demining within the Non-Aligned Movement, which became operational in September 2023.

As part of its advocacy, Azerbaijan is planning to host a conference in Aghdam this May titled “The Impact of Mines and Unexploded Ordnance on Cultural Property,” followed by events in Zangilan and Baku addressing the environmental impact of mines.

Hajizada added that Azerbaijan recently signed a letter of intent with the UN Development Programme to create a “Centre of Excellence” for mine action education: “This notable development will allow Azerbaijan to share its expertise with countries facing similar challenges.”