Statement regarding the start of the disposal of PFM-1 anti-personnel landmines in the Republic of Belarus at the OSCE Forum for Security Cooperation (4 June 2014)
18.06.2014Mr. Chairperson,
On 27 May 2014, the official opening ceremony of the Centre for the Disposal of Anti-Personnel Mines took place in Rechitsa in the Gomel region as part of the international technical assistance project “Destruction of PFM-1 series ammunition in Belarus”.
The ceremony was attended by representatives from the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the European Commission and EXPAL, the Spanish contracting company which built the Centre.
The project aims to destroy more than 3.35 million PFM-1 anti-personnel mines (high-explosive anti-personnel mines) stockpiled by the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus. The European Union is funding the project, which is costing a total of around 4 million euros.
The Centre for the Disposal of Anti-Personnel Mines will enable existing stockpiles of PFM-1 mines to be destroyed using the so-called “cold detonation” technology (destruction by charges in a thick-walled armoured kiln). In addition, solid scrap and gases will be reprocessed until they are in a safe state, which will enable further use of the solid scrap at the site. It is anticipated that the Centre will reach its full planned production capacity as early as the end of July.
The implementation of this project will permit Belarus to fully meet its international obligations to dispose of anti-personnel mines under the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) that entered into force for Belarus on 1 March 2004.
It should be noted that Belarus implemented the project “Demilitarization of anti-personnel mines in Belarus” in 2006, on the basis of agreements reached between the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Belarus and the NATO Technical Maintenance and
Supply Agency and with the financial support of Canada and Lithuania. TNT-containing anti-personnel mines (a total of around 295,000 units) falling under the Ottawa Convention were completely destroyed under this project.
Belarus is grateful to the European Union and the donor countries which participated in the funding of the projects for the disposal of anti-personnel mines in Belarus, thereby contributing to the enhancement of both regional and general European security, and is ready to continue further constructive co-operation with the partners in this area.
Thank you, Mr. Chairperson.
