State Department official: US ready to cooperate with Azerbaijan in demining

Vugar Suleymanov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA), met Mark Cameron, Director of the Office of Caucasus Affairs and Regional Conflicts in the Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs at the US State Department, Report informs.

The meeting stated that the United States is interested in cooperation in combating the mine threat in Azerbaijan.

During the meeting, a presentation was made on the history of the Agency's creation, directions of activity, the extent of the mine threat in the liberated territories, the obstacles it poses to reconstruction and reconstruction works, as well as the serious contamination of destroyed settlements and civilian objects with mines.

Mr. Mark Cameron's attention was drawn to the directions of awareness-raising about the danger of explosive ammunition, which is a significant hindrance to people's life and safety and training for recruits involved in demining operations, as well as the willingness of the Agency to share the positive experience with other affected countries.

Cameron emphasized that they are interested in long-term cooperation in various directions of humanitarian demining activities in order to contribute to the safe return of former internally displaced persons to their native lands.

Suleymanov noted that the Agency hopes to further expand effective cooperation with various US institutions.