U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE OFFICE AWARDS GRANT FOR AZERBAIJAN MINE ACTION
TREND News Agency, Azerbaijan
May 30 2007
Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend E.Huseynov / The Office of Weapons
Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of
Political-Military Affairs has awarded a total of $187,084 to support
mine victims in Azerbaijan.
The funds will be transferred to the International Eurasia Press Fund
to support the Tartar Azerbaijan Mine Victims Association and establish
regional branches in the Aghstafa and Fizuly regions of Azerbaijan.
According to the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA),
over 400mln sq m of Azerbaijani territory is mined or has unexploded
mines. Since September 2001, 53 people died and 122 received injuries
as a result of 83 mine explosions.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 due
to the territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and seven Districts of the country surrounding it. Since
1992 to the present time, these territories have been under the
occupation of the Armenian Forces. In 1994, Azerbaijan and Armenia
signed a ceasefire agreement at which time the active hostilities
ended. The Co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group ( Russia, France and USA)
are presently holding peaceful negotiations.
The United States has launched another effort to strengthen peace and
post-conflict recovery. The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in
the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs
has awarded a total of more than $2.2 million to 23 non-governmental
organizations to clean up former battle areas.