BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 3. The mine threat
is a challenge that no country can tackle alone, and addressing it
requires solidarity, friendship, and, above all, sustained
international support, the Representative of the President of the
Republic of Azerbaijan on special assignments, Elchin Amirbayov,
said, Trend's
correspondent reports from the event.


Amirbayov made the remark in his address at the 4th
International Mine Action Conference themed “Humanitarian Demining
for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe
Settlements.”


“This year’s conference is dedicated to humanitarian demining
for safe settlement and reconstruction. However, in my remarks, I
would like to approach this topic from a slightly different
perspective—that of the role demining plays as part of
peacemaking.”


The main message here is very simple: as long as the physical
consequences of the war continue to threaten people’s lives,
restrict mobility, slow economic activity, and hinder the return of
former internally displaced persons, peace cannot be considered
fully established. Peace is not created by political agreements
alone. Peace must be visible on the ground, in real life. But one
of the biggest obstacles to making peace visible in Azerbaijan lies
underground. “Since the end of 2020, 437 people in Azerbaijan have
been affected by mines – either killed or injured,” Amirbayov
said.


On September 2, the 4th International Mine Action Conference,
themed “Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards
of Excellence for Safe Settlements,” was organized jointly by the
Agency for Mine Action of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) and
the United Nations Office in Azerbaijan.


The event will feature panel discussions on the topics “Demining
as the Foundation for Urban Recovery,” “International Cooperation
and Donor Mechanisms to Support Safe Demining in Azerbaijan,” and
“Humanitarian Demining for Sustainable Community Development.”


The conference will wrap up today. The conference statement is
scheduled to be adopted at the conclusion of the event.