Mexican media sheds light on mine problem in Azerbaijan

El Universal, a newspaper with a wide readership in Mexico, wrote "Mines, still a living scourge" (Minas terrestres: un An extensive article entitled flagelo que aún cobra vidas) was published, Azernews reports, citing the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Mexico.

T. Ishcan, who is the author of many articles about Azerbaijan and its realities, said that today the conflict-ridden world is faced with various security and humanitarian issues such as the refugee crisis, migration, as well as the issue of landmines. Looking at the international statistics in this regard, the level of landmine pollution in the Caucasus is alarming.

In the article, the author stated that after the liberation of the territories of Azerbaijan from the Armenian occupation, this problem became even more urgent. Today, the mentioned lands of Azerbaijan are among the most polluted areas of the world with mines. Over 1.5 million mines and the explosive devices remains in the liberated territories.

The article reads that only 25 percent of the mine maps submitted by Armenia to Azerbaijan are accurate, and according to UN calculations, Azerbaijan needs 30 years and 25 billion US dollars to clear the territories from mines. In this regard, the article noted that the issue of mine clearance has become even more urgent from the point of view of the return of IDPs expelled by Armenians 30 years ago to those lands.

In the article, it was also pointed out that the demining process was carried out by Azerbaijan. Referring to the President of Azerbaijan, it was stated that in addition to the high prices of independent companies and agencies in this field, the mountainous terrain of the Garabagh region makes the process even more difficult.

Also, it has been brought to the attention of the readers that since the Patriotic War, about 400 Azerbaijanis have become victims of landmines.

The author reminded that many countries of the world suffer from landmines, and that they receive support from the UN in the form of education, demining, and assistance to victims, and pointed out that it is surprising that Azerbaijan does not receive sufficient comprehensive assistance in combating this problem.

In the end, the author spoke about the importance of taking effective and result-oriented measures such as political support, exchange of experience, economic and financial support in relation to countries exposed to the threat of landmines, saying that such measures can lead to sustainable peace after 30 years of conflict, as well as to the reconstruction, revival and return to normalcy of that region.