Information of the Press Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan on the letter of the Minister Jeyhun Bayramov to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres

The letter from Jeyhun Bayramov, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan to the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres dated February 22 of this year, in connection with the serious threat emanating from the massive contamination of the recently liberated territories of Azerbaijan with mines and other explosive devices by Armenia, and the latter’s refusal to release information regarding the minefields in these territories, was circulated as a document of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council.

The letter notes that the presence of mines and other explosive devices in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan in the post-conflict period poses a serious threat to the health of Azerbaijani servicemen and civilians. It is stated that since the signing of the trilateral statement dated November 10, 2020, 15 citizens of Azerbaijan, including 9 civilians, have been killed and 65 citizens, including 8 civilians, have been seriously wounded as a result of mine explosions in the recently liberated territories of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The letter emphasizes that the massive mine contamination of the liberated territories of Azerbaijan seriously impedes the realization of wide-ranging rehabilitation and reconstruction plans in these territories.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov brings to the attention of the UN Secretary-General that Armenia is seriously violating its obligations under international humanitarian law by refusing to provide accurate information on mined areas. It also emphasizes that the human costs inflicted by the Armenian-planted mines constitute a war crime.

The document of the UN General Assembly and the Security Council can be found at the following link: https://undocs.org/a/75/778.