BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 2. Azerbaijan is among the most heavily mine-infested countries in the world due to the Armenian occupation, President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev said, addressing the Summit of NAM Contact Group on the fight against COVID-19 in Baku, Trend reports.
"Some 300 Azerbaijanis have been killed or seriously injured in mine incidents since the end of the Second Karabakh War in November 2020.
Given the paramount importance of humanitarian demining for the country, Azerbaijan is currently considering setting a particular national Sustainable Development Goal. Azerbaijan sees a direct link between SDGs and demining since mines slow down the reconstruction process in the liberated territories and the return of former internally displaced persons. Azerbaijan actively promotes the initiative of launching the 18th SDG on demining. We invite NAM countries to support this initiative.
Since a number of NAM member countries are among the most contaminated countries by mines and unexploded ordnances, I would like to suggest forming a Like-Minded Group of Mine-Affected Countries to make our voice heard globally," President Ilham Aliyev said.