Skip Links
U.S. Department of State
U.S.-Colombia Free Trade Agreement: Keep...  |  Daily Press Briefing | What's NewU.S. Department of State
U.S. Department of State
SEARCHU.S. Department of State
Subject IndexBookmark and Share
U.S. Department of State
HomeHot Topics, press releases, publications, info for journalists, and morepassports, visas, hotline, business support, trade, and morecountry names, regions, embassies, and morestudy abroad, Fulbright, students, teachers, history, and moreforeign service, civil servants, interns, exammission, contact us, the Secretary, org chart, biographies, and more
Video
 You are in: Under Secretary for Public Diplomacy and Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs > Bureau of Public Affairs: Press Relations Office > Press Releases (Other) > 2006 > September 
Media Note
Office of the Spokesman
Washington, DC
September 29, 2006


Macedonia Completes Landmine Clearance

The United States congratulates the Republic of Macedonia on the successful clearance of landmines from its territory. Macedonia joins the growing number of countries that are no longer significantly affected by landmines leftover from past conflicts. The United States is pleased to have played a role in this success, having contributed over $1.6 million to humanitarian mine action in Macedonia from 2001- 2003 through the International Trust Fund for Demining and Mine Victims Assistance, thereby enabling matching assistance from other donors.

The United States funded the deployment of six expert demining teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina to Macedonia. The United States also provided approximately $500,000 worth of demining equipment, including four-wheel drive utility vehicles, metal detectors, radios, medical gear, a computer, and other office equipment to assist Macedonia in developing an indigenous mine action capacity. To enhance that capacity, the United States funded the training of 60 Macedonian clearance personnel, including 16 explosive ordnance disposal specialists. Finally, the United States contributed funds to support local Macedonian Battle Area Clearance teams.

The U.S. Humanitarian Mine Action Program has invested well over $1 billion in mine action worldwide. Countries and regions that have received this assistance and that have been rendered free from the humanitarian impact of landmines and unexploded ordnance are Costa Rica, Djibouti, Guatemala, Honduras, and Kosovo. In addition, El Salvador and Suriname have also become mine impact free, receiving from the United States landmine survivors’ assistance and air lift capacity for humanitarian deminers

The Office of Weapons Removal and Abatement in the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Political-Military Affairs continues to provide humanitarian mine action assistance and support for small arms/light weapons mitigation to other countries worldwide. To learn more, visit www.state.gov/t/pm/wra.

2006/886


Released on September 29, 2006

  Back to top

U.S. Department of State
USA.govU.S. Department of StateUpdates  |  Frequent Questions  |  Contact Us  |  Email this Page  |  Subject Index  |  Search
The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs, manages this site as a portal for information from the U.S. State Department. External links to other Internet sites should not be construed as an endorsement of the views or privacy policies contained therein.
About state.gov  |  Privacy Notice  |  FOIA  |  Copyright Information  |  Other U.S. Government Information

Published by the U.S. Department of State Website at http://www.state.gov maintained by the Bureau of Public Affairs.