Ukraine Mine Action Conf. Kicked Off In Switzerland

(MENAFN- Kuwait News Agency (KUNA)) GENEVA, Oct 17 (KUNA) -- The Ukraine Mine Action Conference kicked off on Thursday with the participation of donor countries' political leaders and representatives from the private sector to discuss the urgent threats posed by landmines and explosive remnants of war in Ukraine.
During her opening of the two-day conference held in Lausanne the Swiss President Viola Amherd announced a package of measures to support the Ukrainian government in mine removal including 100 million Swiss francs (almost USD 116 million) for humanitarian mine action in Ukraine and providing additional remote-controlled mine clearance systems along with local training and support which will enable Ukraine to carry out demining operations effectively safely and independently.
President of the Swiss Confederation Viola Amherd emphasized the long-standing Swiss commitment to humanitarian demining saying "Humanitarian demining is essential for resuming agricultural production and ensuring the safe education of children" reiterating the need for continued global cooperation in this field.
Amherd also underscored Switzerland's role in Ukraine to aid in demining efforts reporting that around 25 percent of the country (covering an area of approximately 140,000 square kilometers) nearly three times the size of Switzerland is contaminated with explosive ordnance due the Russian Ukrainian war.
For his part the Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal also speaking at the conference called for an international coalition to support Ukraine's demining efforts noting that the full scope of the task may cost as much as USD 37 billion.
The Ukraine Mine Action Conference (UMAC24) is expected to conclude with the adoption of the "Lausanne Call to Action," a document that will solidify commitments from the global community to accelerate humanitarian demining efforts in Ukraine and beyond. (end)
imk

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