The event was attended by staffers to members of Congress, a delegation from ANAMA, a representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Azerbaijan, representatives of diplomatic missions and think tanks operating in the United States, students, and members of the Azerbaijani community.

In his opening speech at the conference, Azerbaijani Ambassador to the United States Khazar Ibrahim said that Azerbaijan is a country that has been subjected to genocide and ethnic cleansing, and all these mines are a continuation of the experience of genocide. Hundreds of thousands of Azerbaijanis have the right to return to their homes, but their homes have been completely destroyed and mines have been placed in the area. Two days ago, another Azerbaijani was injured as a result of a mine explosion.

Samir Poladov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of ANAMA, said that landmine contamination remains one of the most serious obstacles to security and development in Azerbaijan. Approximately 11,667 square kilometers of land, which constitutes approximately 14 percent of the total territory of Azerbaijan, is affected by mines and explosive remnants of war, making Azerbaijan one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Mines cause human casualties and seriously hinder recovery and reconstruction efforts.

"The Azerbaijani government is working to rebuild cities and villages, restore infrastructure, and allow formerly internally displaced persons to safely return to their lands. Landmines are not only a legacy of war, they are an obstacle to reconstruction and lasting peace. Despite great challenges, Azerbaijan has demonstrated its unwavering commitment to resolving this crisis, making it one of the largest national contributors to humanitarian mine action," added Samir Poladov. The ANAMA official also noted the support of international partners, including the United States, in this direction.

Eden Slater, development and communications manager at the Marshall Legacy Institute, said that 2025 will mark 20 years of cooperation between the two organizations. According to her, during this time, the Institute has donated 93 mine detection dogs to ANAMA, and this year this number is planned to be increased to 100. She said that she went to Zangilan last year and had the chance to see the work that ANAMA is doing and the people returning to the demined areas.

Then, a video clip was shown on the humanitarian demining activities carried out in the liberated territories of Azerbaijan.

Finally, ANAMA representatives made a presentation on the activities carried out to combat the current mine problem and mine threat in our country. The presentation noted that since November 10, 2020, more than 190 thousand hectares of land have been cleared of mines and unexploded ordnance, and during this period, more than 36 thousand anti-personnel mines, more than 21 thousand anti-tank mines and more than 133 thousand unexploded ordnance have been discovered.

The event also organized a photo exhibition reflecting the mine problem facing our country, the consequences it causes, and the work being done to eliminate this problem.