Ukraine approves demining cooperation agreement with Syria
DAMASCUS, Syria (North Press) – Ukraine’s Cabinet of Ministers on Monday approved a draft agreement with Syria on cooperation in humanitarian demining, paving the way for joint efforts to remove landmines and explosive remnants of war in areas affected by the country’s prolonged conflict.
According to a government order issued on July 13 and published on Ukraine’s Government Portal, the agreement establishes a framework for cooperation between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the Syrian government in the field of humanitarian mine action.
The Ukrainian government authorized Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture Ihor Bezkaravaynyi to sign the agreement on behalf of Ukraine.
The government said the agreement follows a visit by a Ukrainian delegation to Syria in early March, during which officials held meetings in Damascus to discuss humanitarian demining and bilateral trade and economic cooperation.
Under the proposed agreement, the two countries will cooperate on humanitarian mine action, including the exchange of expertise and technical knowledge aimed at improving civilian safety and supporting the clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnance.
The Ukrainian government said implementation of the agreements reached during the March meetings is expected to continue in the coming months.
Syria remains one of the world’s most heavily contaminated countries with landmines and unexploded ordnance after more than a decade of conflict. Explosive hazards continue to pose a major threat to civilians, particularly in areas where displaced families are returning and agricultural activities have resumed.
According to the United Nations, explosive ordnance has killed or injured thousands of civilians across Syria since 2011, while humanitarian organizations have repeatedly warned that mine contamination remains one of the main obstacles to safe returns, reconstruction, and economic recovery.
Ukraine has expanded its international engagement in humanitarian demining as it continues to confront widespread mine contamination on its own territory following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Ukrainian authorities have increasingly sought to share expertise and strengthen cooperation with other countries facing similar challenges.