BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 9. Demining is one
of the main conditions for the restoration of liberated territories
and the safe return of former internally displaced persons in
Azerbaijan, political analyst Azer Garayev told Trend.
He noted that the 4th International Mine Action Conference held
in Baku on the theme "Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery:
Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements" is of great
importance in terms of bringing the scale of the mine problem
facing Azerbaijan to the attention of the international
community.
"It would not be right to approach humanitarian mine clearance
only as a technical or security measure. This process is directly
related to the reconstruction of cities and villages, the
restoration of infrastructure, the revival of economic activity,
and the safe return of people to their native lands. If the
territory is not safe, it is also impossible to establish
sustainable living and economic activity there. In this regard,
mine clearance is one of the basic conditions for the post-conflict
reconstruction of Azerbaijan," the analyst said.
Garayev recalled that at the opening of the conference, address
of the President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev to the conference
participants, read by the Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan
- Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential
Administration Hikmet Hajiyev, emphasized that mine clearance is a
key condition for the creation of safe settlements, the
implementation of reconstruction work and the return of people to
their native lands.
"The address of President Ilham Aliyev, voiced by Hikmet
Hajiyev, highlights a very important point: it's impossible to talk
about the full restoration of territories without eliminating the
mine threat. The essence of the approach emphasized by the head of
state is that until the lands are cleared of mines and explosive
remnants of war, it's impossible to fully rebuild cities, villages,
and settlements, ensure the safe operation of schools and
hospitals, return people to their homelands with dignity, and
ensure sustainable economic activity. This clearly shows why mine
clearance is of strategic importance in Azerbaijan's post-conflict
agenda," he pointed out.
The analyst noted that the figures presented in President Ilham
Aliyev's address allow us to more clearly imagine the scale of the
mine problem that Azerbaijan is facing.
"According to the preliminary calculations announced in the
address of the head of state, more than 13% of the territory of
Azerbaijan has been affected by mines and unexploded ordnance. This
indicates that we are talking about a fairly large area.
Considering the scale of the restoration work carried out in
Karabakh and East Zangezur, it's possible to see how many
resources, time, and technological capabilities are required to
eliminate the mine threat," Garayev explained.
The expert also pointed out that the most serious aspect of the
mine problem is the constant threat it poses to human life.
"According to the statistics presented in the address of
President Ilham Aliyev, 437 Azerbaijani citizens have been victims
of mine and explosive incidents since 2020, while 73 of them lost
their lives and 364 were seriously injured. It's reported that
since the beginning of Armenia's aggression against Azerbaijan,
more than 3,500 of our citizens have been injured by mines. The
main point to note here is that although the war has ended, the
threat it poses to people's lives continues in the form of mines.
In this sense, mines are one of the most serious and long-term
humanitarian consequences of the conflict," the analyst
emphasized.
According to Garayev, the inaccurate and incompleteness of the
maps of mined areas provided by Armenia further complicates the
solution to the problem.
He noted that the President's address also pays special
attention to the fact that mines and mine traps were discovered not
only in former military positions, but also along roads, near
residential areas, cemeteries, agricultural lands, forests, river
banks, and other civilian areas.
"This fact shows that the problem is not purely military, but
clearly humanitarian in nature. We are talking about a threat that
prevents people from living their daily lives, moving freely,
engaging in agriculture, returning to their homes and building a
normal life. The presence of mines and mine traps, especially in
civilian areas, significantly complicates ensuring people's
security in the post-conflict period," the analyst said.
He expressed an opinion that the scale of demining work carried
out by Azerbaijan at its own expense in these difficult conditions
should also be assessed separately.
"According to the information presented in the address of
President Ilham Aliyev, to date, more than 298,000 hectares of land
have been cleared, 260,147 mines and unexploded ordnance have been
discovered and neutralized. These are quite significant indicators
and demonstrate how Azerbaijan has mobilized significant resources
for the demining process. At the same time, the overall scale of
mine contamination shows that a large amount of work still lies
ahead," he clarified.
Garayev noted that the speed of the demining process directly
affects the pace of the Great Return and large-scale construction
work carried out in the liberated territories.
"Today, cities and villages are being rebuilt in Karabakh and
East Zangezur, roads, tunnels, airports, energy infrastructure,
schools, hospitals, and settlements are being created. People are
gradually returning to their native lands. However, safe land is
the starting point of all these processes. It is not possible to
build settlements, build infrastructure, or safely return people to
an area that has not been cleared of mines," he mentioned.
The analyst added that the linking of mine clearance with
broader national priorities in President Ilham Aliyev's address is
also an important message.
"Here, mine clearance is presented not as a separate process,
but as an integral part of a single system with reconstruction,
safe return, agricultural revival, infrastructure development,
environmental protection, social reintegration, and economic
recovery. This approach is one of the main features of Azerbaijan's
post-conflict recovery model. The territory is first secured, then
infrastructure is created, economic opportunities are formed, and
people's permanent livelihoods are ensured," he announced.
According to Garayev, the scale of the problem facing Azerbaijan
also requires a more active and practical participation of the
international community:
"Azerbaijan continues mine clearance work by mobilizing large
financial, technical, and human resources. However, such
large-scale mine contamination also requires international
cooperation. This is not just about financial assistance. The
application of modern demining technologies, the provision of
special equipment, the transfer of technology and experience, the
training of specialists, and the creation of long-term partnership
mechanisms can make a significant contribution to accelerating the
process," he said.
The analyst emphasized that holding international demining
conferences in Baku shows that Azerbaijan has put the mine problem
on the international agenda not only as a national issue, but also
as a global humanitarian and security challenge.
According to him, Azerbaijan's message is that the political and
military end of the conflict does not mean that its humanitarian
consequences will automatically disappear.
"As long as mines remain on the ground, the threat of war also
continues in some form. Therefore, in the post-conflict period, the
attention of the international community should be focused not only
on political processes, but also on ensuring the real security of
people," he noted.
Garayev shared that Azerbaijan's parallel implementation of
demining, rehabilitation, and the Great Return processes can be a
practical experience for other countries facing similar problems in
the future.
"The address of President Ilham Aliyev also states that
Azerbaijan is ready to share its experience with countries and
regions facing similar consequences of the conflict. The main
feature of Azerbaijan's approach is the management of mine
clearance, urban development, infrastructure, social services,
economic activity, and return of people as a single process. This
is a comprehensive approach to post-conflict reconstruction," he
said.
According to the analyst, all this shows that the main message
of the 4th International Mine Clearance Conference is not limited
to presenting the mine problem facing Azerbaijan.
"The main issue is under what conditions safe and sustainable
living can be established. The example of Azerbaijan shows that the
first condition for this is land security. As the mine threat is
eliminated, the return of people is accelerated, economic activity
expands, infrastructure projects are implemented, and normal life
is restored. In this context, mine clearance is not just clearing
the land of explosive ordnance. It's the foundation of the Great
Return, economic revival, and the establishment of a safe,
sustainable future in the liberated territories," concluded the
analyst.
