Azerbaijan establishes medal for merits in mine clearance
Azerbaijan has established a medal for merits in the field of mine clearance.
In this regard, President Ilham Aliyev approved amendments to the law "On the establishment of orders and medals", News.Az reports.
The medal will be awarded for active participation in the development of the field of mine clearance, for a significant contribution to effective cooperation in the field of mine clearance, and for merits in the development and strengthening of international relations of the Republic of Azerbaijan in the field of mine clearance.
The Karabakh (Garabagh) and Eastern Zangazur economic regions of Azerbaijan had been heavily mined since the 1990s by Armenian armed forces. In 1991, Armenia launched a full-blown military assault against Azerbaijan, which lasted until a ceasefire was reached in 1994. The war resulted in Armenia occupying 20 percent of Azerbaijan’s internationally-recognized territories. Over 30,000 Azerbaijanis were killed and one million others were expelled from those lands in a brutal ethnic cleansing campaign carried out by Armenia.
Despite extensive efforts, demining operations faced many challenges due to Armenia’s refusal to hand over maps displaying the locations of the landmines.
Azerbaijan obtained minefield maps of the once-occupied Aghdam, Fuzuli, and Zangilan districts from Armenia, which reportedly identify the coordinates of 189,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines. Armenia also provided the Azerbaijani side with mine maps of other liberated territories of Azerbaijan. In exchange for maps, Azerbaijan released dozens of Armenian saboteurs detained in Azerbaijani territory after the war. However, Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev said the accuracy of these maps did not exceed 25 percent.
Azerbaijan's Mine Action Agency reported that the maps provided by Armenia were just 2 percent effective in mine action. According to the Azerbaijani government data, international experts estimate that Azerbaijan needs nearly 30 years and $25 billion to solve issues related to demining.
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