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ECHO looks to provide support to Azerbaijan in demining - Head of the EU Delegation

Politics Materials 9 June 2021 18:10 (UTC +04:00)

BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 9

By Nargiz Sadikhova, Jeyla Aliyeva - Trend:

EU has an expert from ECHO who is looking to provide support to Azerbaijan in demining of Azerbaijani territories liberated from Armenian occupation, Head of the EU Delegation to Azerbaijan Kestutis Jankauskas said, Trend reports.

Commenting on the recent death of two Azerbaijani journalists who died as a result of the Armenian-planted mine explosion in the Azerbaijani Kalbajar district recently liberated from Armenian occupation, he expressed condolences to the families and friends of the journalists.

He noted that the EU keeps following the news and unfortunately sees that the number of people killed and injured and the result of mines exploding is increasing.

“Situation there is very heavy. There are a lot of mines. It is really very sad. We do raise the issues of mine maps and the EU has issued numerous statements about this, encouraging every step from all sides that could build more trust and confidence [in the region]. And handing over mine maps would be one of them. Not the only, but one of them and a very important one. But I am afraid that it will not solve all the problems,” Jankauskas said.

He explained that it is because it will be difficult to expect that there will be a map of every single mine.

“You need to be very careful, you need to spend time and attention on demining. I know that our colleagues from UNDP are also advising and helping. We have the coordination group ongoing in support of that. And recently EU has awarded a contract for mine awareness raising,” he explained.

He also noted that the EU has an expert from ECHO, which is a humanitarian branch of the European Commission, who is looking for further support.

“We have published a call for proposal for 10 more million euros and part of that is intended for assistance on the humanitarian demining. So this is an ongoing process which we fully support, but first of all, we encourage people to be very careful, to spend time on demining and then, of course, anything that could be done,” he said.

Jankauskas added that of course, the mine maps would be helpful, as well as any other steps from both sides like work on the delimitation of the border as they build confidence.

“And I think both sides need that confidence for long-lasting peace. The death of any journalist or any other civilian personnel is one death too much so none of that should happen. We do put this in our statements, we do raise that in our conversations with the Armenian authorities,” he added.

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