BAKU, Azerbaijan,
August 4. The mine threat remains one of the most
serious humanitarian challenges facing Azerbaijan in the
post-conflict period. Following the liberation of its territories
from occupation, the country has been confronted not only with the
task of rebuilding cities and villages, but also with the complex
and long-term challenge of making these areas safe for human
habitation. This is why, in recent years, Azerbaijan has
consistently raised humanitarian demining on international
platforms not only as a matter of national security, but also as an
issue of regional development, human rights and sustainable
peace.
Against this backdrop, the visit to Baku by Swiss Federal
Councillor, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and
OSCE Chairperson-in-Office Ignazio Cassis drew particular
attention. During a joint press briefing, Azerbaijani Foreign
Minister Jeyhun Bayramov openly stated that Azerbaijan expects the
OSCE to play a more active role in humanitarian demining through
concrete projects, while the Swiss side highlighted its extensive
experience in this field. This demonstrated that the mine threat
has become an issue not only for bilateral relations but also for
broader international cooperation.
In reality, the issue extends far beyond mine clearance itself.
Accelerating demining operations is regarded as a key prerequisite
for the success of the Great Return program, the reconstruction of
Karabakh and Eastern Zangezur, the launch of new transport
corridors, the expansion of the investment climate and the region's
broader economic integration. For this reason, Azerbaijan's
expectations of the OSCE are aimed not only at political support
but also at mobilizing practical projects, technology, financing
and expert resources.
Keeping the mine threat on the international
agenda
Azerbaijan's efforts are not limited to diplomatic meetings. In
a recent statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that
two Azerbaijani citizens were seriously injured in another mine
explosion in the Khojavand district, once again calling on the
international community to step up its support.
The ministry stressed that since the end of the 2020 Patriotic
War, 433 people have been affected by landmine contamination
resulting from Armenia's actions. The figures demonstrate that the
mine threat continues to claim victims long after the conflict has
ended.
According to the ministry, the humanitarian consequences of
landmines remain a serious obstacle to sustainable peace,
development and human security.
The statement emphasized that "ensuring a mine-free future is an
essential condition for sustainable peace, development and human
security."
The ministry believes that broader international support for
humanitarian demining activities is essential to achieve this
goal.
Humanitarian demining is an urgent issue that saves
lives
Speaking to Trend,
Head of the Azerbaijani delegation to the OSCE Parliamentary
Assembly and member of the parliamentary Committee on International
Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Ties Gaya Mammadov said Armenia
had planted more than one million landmines across Azerbaijani
territories during the occupation while nearly one thousand towns
and villages had been destroyed.
According to the lawmaker, preliminary estimates place the
damage inflicted on Azerbaijan at more than $150 billion.
He said that international assistance for reconstruction,
rehabilitation and especially humanitarian demining would
contribute not only to restoring justice but also to strengthening
sustainable peace throughout the region.
"Humanitarian demining, which is entirely humanitarian in nature
and aimed at saving human lives, is particularly urgent," he
stressed.
Mammadov noted that Azerbaijan consistently raises this issue on
all international platforms, including the United Nations, as well
as during bilateral meetings.
According to him, several international organizations have
recently adopted documents supporting Azerbaijan's position.
The MP recalled that in 2025 the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly
adopted a document calling for increased international support for
reconstruction, rehabilitation and humanitarian demining efforts in
Azerbaijan's liberated territories.
Mammadov believes that these calls must now be translated into
practical results.
"It is important that OSCE participating States increase their
assistance to Azerbaijan. The OSCE Chairperson-in-Office can also
contribute by promoting such support in line with the Parliamentary
Assembly's recommendations," he said.
In his view, such an approach is important not only for
Azerbaijan but also for the security of the region as a whole and
for the post-conflict recovery process.
The mine threat remains an obstacle to human
rights
The humanitarian consequences of landmines are not merely a
security issue but have also become a fundamental human rights
concern. In this regard, a recent statement by Azerbaijan's
Commissioner for Human Rights (Ombudsperson) once again highlighted
the impact of the mine threat on the right to life and safe living
conditions.
The statement expressed serious concern over an incident in the
Khojavand district in which an employee of a private company
involved in humanitarian demining operations was injured by an
anti-personnel mine.
It noted that mine explosions continue to undermine people's
rights to life, health and a safe environment, while also posing a
major obstacle to the safe return of former internally displaced
persons to their homes.
Ombudsperson Sabina Aliyeva called on the international
community and relevant international organizations to expand their
technical, financial and expert support for Azerbaijan's
humanitarian demining efforts.
The statement reiterated that eliminating the mine threat is
essential to ensuring human rights, protecting people's lives and
health, and enabling the safe reconstruction and resettlement of
the liberated territories.
"It's time for the OSCE to move from political
statements to practical projects"
Speaking to Trend,
Sevinc Fataliyeva, a member of Azerbaijan's delegation to the OSCE
Parliamentary Assembly and member of the parliamentary Committee on
International Relations and Inter-Parliamentary Ties, said
humanitarian demining is one of the key pillars of Azerbaijan's
post-conflict recovery policy.
She noted that clearing liberated territories of mines and
unexploded ordnance is strategically important not only for public
safety but also for accelerating socio-economic development,
facilitating the return of former internally displaced persons,
restoring transport and energy infrastructure, and expanding
regional cooperation.
According to the MP, this is why humanitarian demining was one
of the central issues during Ignazio Cassis' visit to Baku.
Fataliyeva said Jeyhun Bayramov's call for a more active and
practical OSCE role in addressing the mine threat reflects the
current realities on the ground.
"The mine threat remains one of the biggest obstacles to the
reconstruction of the liberated territories," she stressed.
According to her, rebuilding residential areas, constructing
roads, energy and communication infrastructure, reviving
agriculture and ensuring the safe return of people to their native
lands all depend directly on the pace of demining operations.
Fataliyeva noted that, according to ANAMA, more than 287,000
hectares had been cleared of mines by mid-July this year, with over
255,000 mines and unexploded ordnance detected and neutralized.
At the same time, she said the scale of the problem remains
enormous, with 433 people killed or injured in mine explosions
since 2020, clearly illustrating the humanitarian dimension of the
threat.
Fataliyeva stressed that under these circumstances the OSCE's
role should not be limited to political declarations.
"This is about implementing concrete projects, mobilizing
additional financial resources, introducing modern mine-detection
technologies, unmanned systems, robotic equipment and digital
mapping capabilities, as well as providing specialist training and
sharing best international practices," she said.
She noted that Azerbaijan currently bears the main burden of
demining operations, with ANAMA working alongside the Ministry of
Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and other relevant
agencies.
According to the MP, Azerbaijan has long been consistently
raising humanitarian demining within the OSCE framework while
calling for the expansion of the organization's practical
assistance mechanisms.
In her opinion, a more active OSCE role could significantly
accelerate reconstruction in the liberated territories.
"Every area cleared of mines creates opportunities to build new
settlements, construct social infrastructure, attract investment
and ensure the safe return of former internally displaced persons,"
she said.
Fataliyeva added that humanitarian demining is important not
only for Azerbaijan's domestic recovery but also for regional
economic integration.
She said that as the South Caucasus increasingly becomes a key
transport hub linking Europe and Asia, the safe implementation of
the Middle Corridor, new road and railway routes, as well as energy
and communications projects, depends directly on successful
demining.
The MP believes that bringing to Azerbaijan the advanced
technologies available in OSCE participating States, including
artificial intelligence-based solutions, drones, engineering
equipment and innovative methodologies, would further enhance
ANAMA's effectiveness.
"Today, humanitarian demining is not merely a technical issue.
It is a humanitarian issue directly linked to people's right to
live safely, return to their homes and rebuild their lives. A more
active and practical OSCE role in this area could make a tangible
contribution to strengthening security and confidence-building in
the South Caucasus," Fataliyeva stressed.
Azerbaijan presents a new test for the OSCE
The main message Azerbaijan has consistently delivered on
international platforms in recent years is that sustainable peace
in the post-conflict period cannot be achieved through political
agreements alone. Without removing the physical consequences of
war, ensuring safe living conditions, enabling the full return of
former internally displaced persons and restoring economic
activity, it is difficult to speak of lasting peace.
Against this backdrop, Jeyhun Bayramov's statement that
Azerbaijan expects concrete projects from the OSCE, together with
Ignazio Cassis' remarks highlighting Switzerland's extensive
experience in humanitarian demining and its readiness to cooperate
in this field, indicate that new opportunities are emerging.
Switzerland's allocation of 100 million Swiss francs for
humanitarian demining in Ukraine, along with decades of experience
in this field across various countries, demonstrates the
availability of significant expertise.
If the OSCE responds to Azerbaijan's call by launching concrete
humanitarian demining projects, this could become one of the
organization's first tangible and measurable contributions in the
South Caucasus in many years. Such a step would not only support
Azerbaijan's reconstruction efforts but also strengthen regional
confidence, facilitate the safe implementation of transport and
communications projects and contribute to long-term peace.
In this sense, the key issue for the OSCE is no longer
recognizing the existence of the mine problem but demonstrating
practical involvement in solving it. Concrete steps in humanitarian
demining in Azerbaijan could become one of the clearest indicators
of the organization's effectiveness in the post-conflict
period.
