Trend News Agency

21.09.2007 13:59:02

Over $500,000 Required for De-mining Areas in
Azerbaijan: ANAMA Head

Azerbaijan, Baku / corr Trend S.Agayeva / Over $500,000 is required
for de-mining the Azerbaijani territory which was mined during the
Armenian-Azerbaijan conflict, Nazim Ismayilov, the Director of the
Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAM), said on 21
September.

The conflict between the two countries of South Caucasus began in 1988
due to territorial claims by Armenia against Azerbaijan. Armenia has
occupied 20% of the Azerbaijani land including the Nagorno-Karabakh
region and its seven surrounding Districts. Since 1992, 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 currently holding peaceful
negotiations.

More than 100mln sq m are still required to be de-mined in the
non-occupied territory of Azerbaijan, whereas over 500mln sq m are to
de-mined in the occupied territory of Azerbaijan, ANAMA Director said.

According to the calculations by the World Bank, who may be the
possible donor in the implementation of the program on Great
Repatriation to be carried out after the resolution of the conflict,
over $500,000 is required to de-mine the areas.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress