Azerbaijan is one of the countries most severely impacted by the landmine problem, according to Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Head of the Department of Foreign Policy Affairs of the Presidential Administration, Ednews informs.

In his interview with journalists Mr. Hajiyev highlighted that landmines were deliberately used by Armenia not only for military objectives but also to hinder Azerbaijan's post-war reconstruction efforts. "Mines were deployed to slow down and obstruct the reconstruction activities, posing significant dangers to Azerbaijani civilians," he said.

H. Hajiyev pointed out that Armenia's strategy involved mining areas beyond the former contact line, including roads and paths to cemeteries, houses, and settlements. "The aim was clearly to inflict maximum harm on civilians," he emphasized.

The extent of the landmine contamination continues to be a major obstacle for Azerbaijan, affecting the safety and progress of rebuilding efforts in the region.

He also noted that minefield maps provided by Armenia were ineffective.

“Armenia widely used landmines not only for military purposes, but also for the purpose of causing damage to the restoration and construction work of Azerbaijan after the war, causing maximum damage to the pace of work and people,” Hajiyev said.

The presidential aide stressed that Azerbaijan is firmly committed to resolving the issue of demining the territories, despite that this is a “very labor-intensive process.”