Yalchin Rafiyev: Azerbaijan is currently one of most severely mine-affected countries

The biggest challenge in Azerbaijan's liberated territories is still related to landmines, Deputy Foreign Minister Yalchin Rafiyev said during the event themed “High-Level Strategic Prioritization” held within the UN-Azerbaijan Cooperation Framework Document on Sustainable Development (2026-2030), Report informs.

"Azerbaijan has a roadmap aimed at building a sustainable and inclusive economy, evolving green economy, improving social welfare, and ensuring long-term sustainability for the future. Despite our rapid progress in this direction, the presence of the landmine problem in our territories that were under occupation for a long time remains one of the biggest obstacles," Rafiyev noted.

He emphasized that Azerbaijan is currently one of the most severely mine-affected countries in the world: "By proposing the 18th Sustainable Development Goal as an initiative to build a stable, safe, and prosperous future in the liberated territories, we emphasize the importance of paying special attention to this area."