Azerbaijan Blames Incomplete Maps for Demining Delays
Demining is tied to recovery and sustainable development in Azerbaijan’s liberated territories and to conditions for former displaced people to return safely.
Wednesday, 2 September 2026 15:14
Azerbaijan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Samir Sharifov said in Baku on September 2, 2026, that Armenia’s incomplete mine maps are slowing demining and delaying the safe return of former internally displaced persons.
The remarks, reported by Trend, came during the panel discussion titled "International Cooperation and Donor Mechanisms to Support Safe Recovery through Mine Action in Azerbaijan" at the 4th International Mine Action Conference.
Sharifov said Azerbaijan remains one of the countries most affected by anti-personnel mines and unexploded ordnance of war. "This contamination is a result of nearly 30 years of occupation of Azerbaijani territories by Armenia. The planting of mines has continued even after the conflict ended in November 2020. The widespread and often unmarked placement of mines, as well as the lack of reliable information about mines, further complicates the situation," he said.
"Armenia's failure to provide complete and accurate mine maps continues to slow down clearance operations and delay the safe return of former IDPs," Sharifov said. He described mine contamination as a humanitarian challenge affecting citizens’ lives and the future of Azerbaijan’s liberated territories.
The conference, titled "Humanitarian Demining for Urban Recovery: Setting Standards of Excellence for Safe Settlements", was launched in Baku on September 2 and will conclude on September 3. Its panels include discussions on mine action as a foundation for urban recovery, international cooperation and donor mechanisms, and humanitarian demining for resilient communities.
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