BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 22. A business trip to Southeast Asia is being conducted by Elchin Amirbayov, Representative of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, on special assignments, with the goal of expanding cooperation and exchanging experiences with international organizations that specialize in mine action, TurkicWorld reports via ANAMA.
During the trip, the Azerbaijani delegation held a meeting with Lieutenant General Nattawut Sabyeroop, the Director General of the Thailand Mine Action Center (TMAC).
A variety of topics were covered during the meeting, including humanitarian demining expertise sharing, collaborative training programs, new ways of conducting demining operations, capacity development, and technical assistance.
Amirbayov detailed the scope of Azerbaijan's landmine problem and stressed the need for more international attention and funding to find a solution. He made it clear that the meeting would be a huge step forward in fostering collaboration in this area.
Chairman of the Board of the Mine Action Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ANAMA) Vugar Suleymanov, , highlighted the necessity of establishing close and direct communication between the two organizations, considering their extensive experience in humanitarian demining. He also invited representatives of the Thailand Mine Action Center to participate in an international conference on mine action planned to be held in Azerbaijan.
During the meeting, representatives from both ANAMA and TMAC shared information about their activities in mine action and their achievements in this field. There was also an exchange of experiences and discussion of future potential cooperation regarding the organization of the ANAMA-UNDP International Centre of Excellence and Training for Mine Action, which is planned to be established in Azerbaijan.
Rotna Buth, Executive Director of the ASEAN Regional Mine Action Center (ARMAC), underscored the importance of expanding cooperation between the demining agencies of ARMAC member countries and ANAMA.
Additionally, the Director General of the TMAC expressed readiness for experience and training exchanges with Azerbaijan in the field of mine action.
The meeting at the Thailand Mine Action Center was organized by ARMAC, the regional demining organization for member countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).
Meetings are in full swing as part of the visit, with a keen focus on getting the lowdown on international practices in mine action, swapping stories, and shining a spotlight on the landmine problem in Azerbaijan for the international community.
