Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration, discussed the challenges Azerbaijan faces in the process of Karabakh revival.
The mine threat remains a major challenge for Azerbaijan, Hikmet Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan and Head of the Foreign Policy Department of the Presidential Administration said, addressing representatives of the diplomatic corps in the Karabakh University.
"This [mines - ed.] is a hidden threat embedded in the ground in these territories. As you can see, this is a beautiful natural environment, a gift from nature itself, but, unfortunately, we do not have access to a number of areas due to the mine threat,”
– Hikmet Hajiyev said.
He recalled that over 1.5 million mines had been planted on Azerbaijani lands during the occupation, contaminating almost 12-13% of the country's territory.
He clarified that, to date, over 400 Azerbaijani citizens were killed or wounded as a result of mine explosions.
The presidential aide also recalled that the fate of approximately 4,000 Azerbaijanis missing in action during the First Karabakh War remains unknown, although Baku has repeatedly appealed to Yerevan through various channels.
The presidential aide emphasized that Azerbaijan has developed a unique model for the restoration and reconstruction of de-occupied territories—a view shared by the diplomatic corps and the international community. He added that this work is being carried out with Azerbaijan's own resources.
