Azernews.Az

By Trend

Armenia refuses to provide maps of minefields [of Azerbaijan's lands, liberated from Armenia's occupation in 2020], violating all international conventions, head of Azerbaijan’s Embassy in France Rahman Mustafayev said at a hearing with rapporteurs of the working group on the Karabakh war, set up in the French Senate, Trend reports referring to a source in the embassy.

During the hearings, Mustafayev spoke about the main challenges of the post-war period: de-mining and restoration of the liberated territories of Azerbaijan, reconciliation of the two countries, building trust between the communities of Karabakh and the integration of citizens of Armenian origin, as well as the technical mission of UNESCO.

The ambassador noted that during the 30-year occupation, Azerbaijani cities, villages and cemeteries were destroyed, and currently, the biggest problem is the mining of the main roads.

He informed the rapporteurs that Armenia refused to provide maps of minefields, therefore, Azerbaijani IDPs, who have been in exile for 30 years, cannot return home.

Besides, he stressed that at the moment the most urgent problem is the clearance of Azerbaijani territories, however, the Armenian side refuses to reveal the maps of minefields, violating all international conventions and rules of war. As a result, after the end of the war, the Azerbaijani side continues to suffer losses - as a result of a mine explosion, 20 civilians and 7 servicemen were killed.

According to Mustafayev, after all major wars since 1945, the belligerents have always exchanged maps of minefields with each other.

“These are the requirements of international conventions, in particular the Mine Action Treaty of 1997 and international law. This was also the case after the Indo-Pakistani wars of 1947– 1948, 1965 and 1971, the Arab-Israeli wars of 1967 and 1973 and the wars in the former Yugoslavia in 1995,” he reminded.

“After the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1988, minefield maps were provided to the Afghan side. However, Armenia refuses to provide the maps, and the French press doesn’t write about it," the diplomat added.

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