Azerbaijan, Cambodia strengthen partnership in mine action

The collaboration between Azerbaijan and Cambodia in combating the threat of landmines is growing stronger. This development was highlighted during a recent visit by a delegation from the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA), led by ANAMA Board Chairman Vugar Suleymanov, to the Kingdom of Cambodia, Azernews reports.

The ANAMA delegation engaged in discussions with key Cambodian officials, including Prum Sofeakmonkul, Vice President of the Cambodia Demining and Mine Victims Assistance Agency (CMAA); Lee Panhariz, Executive Director of CMAA; and Heng Ratana, Director General of the Cambodia Mine Clearance Center (CMAC). These meetings focused on sharing expertise in mine threat management, exploring future cooperation opportunities, and discussing demining methodologies and training programs.

The delegation also met with the ASEAN department of Cambodia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, as well as Ke Sovann, the Deputy Secretary of State responsible for mine threat issues. During this meeting, both nations, which are heavily affected by landmines and unexploded ordnance, discussed the extent of the mine threat and potential areas for bilateral cooperation.

Shovgi Mehdizade, Azerbaijan’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Cambodia, joined the discussions and activities.

As part of the visit, the ANAMA team toured the CMAC Training Center to review its training capabilities, teaching methods, and resources. They also visited Siem Reap province, one of Cambodia’s most mine-contaminated areas, to observe demining operations, including manual demining and the use of demining dogs and rats.

The delegation also explored the "Peace Museum" at CMAC, which showcases landmines, explosive remnants of war, and various historical exhibits illustrating Cambodia’s ongoing struggle with landmines.

The exchange of knowledge and experience with Southeast Asian countries that have extensive backgrounds in mine action is expected to significantly enhance the future operations of ANAMA.