Azerbaijan's mine problem and the elimination of it were discussed with NATO's financial and technical support at the meeting of the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council.

Axar.az reports that according to the information provided by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA), a delegation led by Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of ANAMA’s Board, participated in the meeting of the "Ad hoc" Working Group on Light and Small Arms and Mine Action under the Partnership and Cooperative Security Committee in the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council (EAPC) format. Representatives from NATO member and partner states, as well as representatives from relevant NATO structures, attended the meeting.

During the meeting, Azerbaijan's mine problem, the efforts made to address this issue, the support provided to Azerbaijan by various states and international organizations in this area, as well as the importance of exchanging experiences and future cooperation prospects were discussed. In this context, the necessity of expediting the establishment of the Gervand Trust Fund for the demining of 400 hectares of land in the Gervand village of the Agdam district was emphasized.

During the meeting, the ANAMA delegation presented a comprehensive report on the scale of the mine threat in Azerbaijan, the challenges faced in this area, and the measures taken to address the problem. The presentation detailed that since November 2020, 379 Azerbaijanis have been killed or injured due to mine explosions, and that mines have significantly delayed the return of internally displaced persons to their homeland and the reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts in those areas. It also explained the humanitarian, economic, and ecological consequences of mines. Additionally, information was provided about the advanced technologies used by ANAMA in solving the mine problem, particularly mechanical demining tools and new approaches applied in the field.

Additionally, a photo exhibition was organized within the framework of the meeting, showcasing the scale of the mine problem faced by Azerbaijan and the humanitarian demining process in the liberated territories.

During the visit, the ANAMA delegation held bilateral meetings with B. San, Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Operations at NATO, and E. Lemos-Maniati, Director of the Arms Control, Disarmament, and Non-Proliferation Division (ADN) of NATO. During these meetings, the Alliance's existing experience in addressing the mine problem and NATO's financial and technical support for our country were discussed.

Furthermore, the ANAMA and NATO delegations visited NATO's Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) located in Luxembourg. During this visit, discussions were held on exchanging experiences in mine clearance, learning modern technologies, and applying new methods.