Azerbaijan Business Center
Nov 11 2010

Azerbaijan does not rule out occupied land demining jointly with Armenia

Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The National Agency for Mine Action in Azerbaijan
(ANAMA) is ready to accomplish a task for which it was established –
to demine the country’s territory Armenia has occupied during two
countries’ Nagorno Garabagh conflict after its release.

Today in Baku ANAMA director Nazim Ismayilov stated that the Agency
had already prepared a plan of gradual mine clearance of the occupied
lands (20% of the country’s territory).

“To manage by fixed deadline, we’ll need to increase our potential 3-4 fold.

In any case, I think that the clearance of these lands will take at
least 10 years after the signing of a peace agreement,’ he added.

Clearing of mines on the occupied land is part of the Azerbaijani
government’s program `Big comeback”.

“On the experience of Jordan we should draw additional human resources
of the Armed Forces to demining work. I don’t rule out that after
signing a peace agreement demining work will be conducted in
collaboration with the Armenian side,’ Ismayilov said.

From: A. Papazian