President Ilham Aliyev has addressed the participants of the 4th International Mine Action Conference, titled "Humanitarian Mine Action for Urban Reconstruction: Setting Excellence Standards for Safe Settlements," currently underway in Baku.
According to the Operative Information Center-OMM, the President emphasized that humanitarian demining is a fundamental prerequisite for the restoration of liberated territories and the safe return of former internally displaced persons.
The conference serves as a critical global platform for addressing the humanitarian, security, and development challenges posed by landmines and unexploded ordnance. Azerbaijan, which has faced severe contamination following nearly 30 years of occupation, has designated humanitarian demining as a national priority, integrating it into the "Great Return" program to facilitate the reconstruction of Garabagh and East Zangazur. The event focuses on establishing international standards to ensure that liberated areas become safe for habitation and economic development.
In his address, President Aliyev noted that since the end of the 2020 Patriotic War, 437 Azerbaijani citizens have fallen victim to mine incidents, with 73 fatalities. He stressed that despite the challenges posed by inaccurate maps provided by Armenia, Azerbaijan remains committed to the safe and dignified return of its citizens to their ancestral lands. The President highlighted that to date, over 298,000 hectares have been cleared, with more than 260,000 mines and unexploded ordnance neutralized, and called for increased international support to accelerate these efforts.
