How many years are needed to demine all the Armenia-occupied Azerbaijani territories?

Mine clearance operations will take at least ten years after Azerbaijan’s territories occupied by Armenia are liberated, Director General of Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) Nazim Ismayilov said.

Nazim Ismayilov said ANAMA with its 550-man staff demines 20-22 million sq m area every year, the current operations will be completed by 2014. ANAMA’s staff should be increased for demining the territories that will be liberated.

Director General said there are possible variants to accelerate the clearance operations after the occupied territories are emptied. One of them is to offer some areas for tender and involve foreign companies in the clearance operations. The second variant is to involve engineer troops in these operations. This method is used in Jordan.

“Moreover, talks are being held so that Armenians give us the maps of the mined territories while leaving the territories. Some areas may be demined together with them,” he said.


/APA/