Ilham Aliyev Reports 298,000 Hectares Cleared in Demining Effort

President Ilham Aliyev announced that Azerbaijan has cleared more than 298,000 hectares of land and neutralized 260,147 mines and unexploded ordnance during the 4th International Mine Action Conference in Baku on September 2. Aliyev stated that over 13% of the country's territory remains contaminated, largely due to nearly 30 years of Armenian occupation. He criticized the Government of Armenia for providing inaccurate and incomplete minefield maps.

Since the 2020 Patriotic War, 437 Azerbaijani citizens have fallen victim to mines, resulting in 73 deaths. Aliyev emphasized that humanitarian demining is the foundation for urban recovery and the Great Return program, which has already enabled nearly 40,000 internally displaced persons to return to liberated territories. He linked these efforts to the National Priorities for Socio-Economic Development: Azerbaijan 2030, focusing on agricultural revival and infrastructure development.

To accelerate clearance, the government is implementing advanced technologies and modern management systems. Aliyev called for increased international solidarity, specifically requesting predictable funding and technology transfers. The conference is jointly organized by the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action and the United Nations Office in Azerbaijan.