Area of 14 million square meters has been freed from mines in the last seven years

ARNAFTM director stated that, Azerbaijan Program of Struggle against Mine Danger includes some stages.

These stages include the formation of national potential able to eliminate mine and PHS problem, as well as freeing mines manually, freeing mines with specially trained dogs and mechanical freeing of mines and freeing the lands released from occupation. ARNAFTM spent more than 13 million dollars for the realization of this program, into which financial aids of USA, European Commission, Japan, Norway, Canada and Italy are included.

Deputy of Prime Minister Abid Sharifov participating in the measure stated that, during the activity of ARNAFTM has freed the total area of 14 million 23 thousand square meters from mines and presented these territories to local authority organs. According to him, 116 mines against people and 80 against tanks, 6.110 non-exploded ammunitions were found out and rendered harmless.

"By the help of BOZENA-4 typed mechanical mine-freeing setting bought by the allocation of European Commission, freeing works were held in the territory of 200 thousand square meters. This year the government allocated 1 billion manats for the operation of freeing mines in Salaoghlu polygon where the military ammunition remained from soviet   period nearby Aghstafa".

President Representative of UNO Development Program Marco Borsetti participating in the measure stated that mine freeing works have great importance. He stated that he hoped Upper Garabagh problem to be solved soon and noted the importance of mine-freeing works to be held for the convenience of people in the territories released from occupation. After that, vice- Minister of Foreign Affairs Araz Azimov in his speech expressed his gratitude to Marco Borsetti for the aid shown to ARNAFTM by UNO.

Araz Azimov considers that, the activity of ARNAFTM may be a sample for other states. Ambassadors of Norway, France, Great Britain, Saudi Arabia and Republic of China took part in the measure.