“We were saddened by the news that two Azerbaijani civilians - Zamin Hasanli and Rahim Habibov were seriously injured as a result of landmine explosion in Shusha and Fuzuli districts,” the Azerbaijan House in Brussels said in a statement.

“It is obvious that Armenia – planted landmines continue to pose a threat to human lives in Azerbaijan. In 2020, following the 44-day war, 340 individuals fell victim to mines in the newly liberated territories,” the statement noted.

“We emphasize that the landmine issue stands as the primary obstacle to the reconstruction and restoration efforts in Karabakh and East Zangezur, hindering the safe and dignified return of hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons to their homes.

World Azerbaijanis call upon the global community to provide widespread public support for recognizing humanitarian demining as the 18th Sustainable Development Goal of the UN,” the statement added.