NATO delegation led by Ms. Eirini Lemos-Maniati, Head of Arms Control, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation section is on a visit to Azerbaijan to participate as a panel speaker in the 4th International Mine Action Conference.

Within the framework of the visit, Deputy Chairman of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Samir Poladov held a meeting with Ms. Lemos-Maniati.

During the meeting, discussions were held on the current state of cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO in the field of humanitarian demining, the importance of the support of international partners in this field, the progress of the ongoing project within the framework of the Science for Peace and Security (SPS) programme on innovative methods of humanitarian demining, as well as Azerbaijan’s participation in other current and future projects within this programme aimed at applying next-generation high technologies and innovative methods in demining.

Samir Poladov reported that since November 2020, 437 Azerbaijani citizens have been killed or wounded by landmine incidents, emphasizing that landmines seriously hinder the return of former IDPs, delay restoration and reconstruction efforts, and cause significant humanitarian, economic, and environmental consequences. Additionally, Samir Poladov also briefed the NATO side about the ongoing activities of ANAMA, the role of Goygol Training Center, as well as ANAMA’s international partnerships in the field of humanitarian demining.

The visit is another demonstration of the long-standing cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO in the field of humanitarian mine action, which includes the successful implementation of numerous joint projects, ranging from mine and UXO clearance to the application of new technologies in humanitarian demining.