BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 3. Demining should
become part of the international peace agenda, the Representative
of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan on special
assignments, Elchin Amirbayov, said, Trend's correspondent reports from the
event.
Elchin Amirbayov made the announcement in his address at the 4th
International Mine Action Conference themed “Humanitarian Demining
for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe
Settlements.”
He noted that when discussing peace in the South Caucasus, we
usually talk about borders, transportation and communication links,
trade, and confidence-building.
“I think we should add one more point here: demining the
physical legacy of war. Because demining should be viewed as an
investment in sustainable peace. Second, we need to establish a
long-term international funding mechanism to support Azerbaijan’s
efforts to combat the mine threat, in addition to large-scale
national efforts,” he said.
Amirbayov stressed that this is not just a matter of emergency
aid.
“Azerbaijan needs predictable, long-term funding that will
enable it to plan, recruit and train staff, invest in equipment,
and accelerate demining efforts. We must focus not merely on
managing the problem, but on funding its solution,” he added.
On September 2, the 4th International Mine Action Conference,
themed “Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards
of Excellence for Safe Settlements,” was organized jointly by the
Agency for Mine Action of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) and
the United Nations Office in Azerbaijan.
The event will feature panel discussions on the topics “Demining
as the Foundation for Urban Recovery,” “International Cooperation
and Donor Mechanisms to Support Safe Demining in Azerbaijan,” and
“Humanitarian Demining for Sustainable Community Development.”
The conference will wrap up today. The conference statement is
scheduled to be adopted at the conclusion of the event.
