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SPINDELEGGER CONCERNED BY USE OF ANTI-PERSONNEL MINES IN NAGORNO-KARABACH
Targeted News Service
September 25, 2013 Wednesday 4:24 AM EST
VIENNA
The Austrian Foreign Ministry issued the following news release:
"Recent reports that anti-personnel mines are again being placed in
the Nagorno-Karabach territory are a matter of the gravest concern",
Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger
said reacting to news from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
(ICBL). "I call on all those responsible to bring about an immediate
stop to the laying of these weapons that are banned internationally
under the Mine Ban Treaty, and also to clear any that have already
been placed."
The ICBL reported that a representative of the Nagorno-Karabach
region had confirmed the renewed laying of mines, claiming they were
to protect the region against attack from Azerbaijan. This region
with a majority ethnic Armenian population declared its independence
from Azerbaijan after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. An open
military conflict was ended by a ceasefire in 1994, but the conflict
still remains unresolved today. The independence of Nagorno-Karabach
is not recognised internationally.
Anti-personnel mines continue to cause enormous human suffering
in the Nagorno-Karabach region to this day. The areas that were
mine-contaminated during the fighting in the 1990s have still not
been fully cleared", Spindelegger said. "Against this background it
is even more irresponsible to lay new anti-personnel mines. This is
jeopardising the success achieved in clearance work over the past
few years."
Accidents with anti-personnel mines have occurred frequently in the
Nagorno-Karabach region since the 1990s. According to ICBL statistics,
74 people have been killed and 260 injured by these left-over weapons
to date. Efforts have been continuing since the year 2000 to clear
the contaminated areas of mines.
From: Baghdasarian
Targeted News Service
September 25, 2013 Wednesday 4:24 AM EST
VIENNA
The Austrian Foreign Ministry issued the following news release:
"Recent reports that anti-personnel mines are again being placed in
the Nagorno-Karabach territory are a matter of the gravest concern",
Austrian Vice-Chancellor and Foreign Minister Michael Spindelegger
said reacting to news from the International Campaign to Ban Landmines
(ICBL). "I call on all those responsible to bring about an immediate
stop to the laying of these weapons that are banned internationally
under the Mine Ban Treaty, and also to clear any that have already
been placed."
The ICBL reported that a representative of the Nagorno-Karabach
region had confirmed the renewed laying of mines, claiming they were
to protect the region against attack from Azerbaijan. This region
with a majority ethnic Armenian population declared its independence
from Azerbaijan after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. An open
military conflict was ended by a ceasefire in 1994, but the conflict
still remains unresolved today. The independence of Nagorno-Karabach
is not recognised internationally.
Anti-personnel mines continue to cause enormous human suffering
in the Nagorno-Karabach region to this day. The areas that were
mine-contaminated during the fighting in the 1990s have still not
been fully cleared", Spindelegger said. "Against this background it
is even more irresponsible to lay new anti-personnel mines. This is
jeopardising the success achieved in clearance work over the past
few years."
Accidents with anti-personnel mines have occurred frequently in the
Nagorno-Karabach region since the 1990s. According to ICBL statistics,
74 people have been killed and 260 injured by these left-over weapons
to date. Efforts have been continuing since the year 2000 to clear
the contaminated areas of mines.
From: Baghdasarian