Serbia clears 64 million square meters of landmines, US boosts aid

Serbia has made significant strides in clearing land contaminated by explosive remnants of war, with its Mine Action Centre completing 299 projects.

These efforts have resulted in the clearance of 64 million square meters of land and the removal of approximately 54,000 mines and other explosive devices. Bojan Glamoclija, director of the Mine Action Centre, highlighted cluster munitions as a particular priority due to their instability. However, unexploded ordnance remains a threat across the country, with about 150 locations still posing risks from large aerial bombs.

The United States is bolstering its support for these demining initiatives. US Chargé d’Affaires Alexander Titolo announced an additional $5.1 million in aid for the destruction of surplus weapons and explosive remnants of war in Serbia. This brings the total US assistance for such programs to over $34 million.

US-funded projects have been instrumental, supporting 80 demining projects in Serbia, of which 77 are completed. These initiatives have cleared 13 million square meters and removed 5,347 explosive devices. Current operations include demining efforts in the Belgrade suburb of Rakovica and the southern city of Bujanovac.

President Aleksandar Vucic, speaking at the same meeting, noted that Serbia and the United States are entering a new phase in their relationship, acknowledging past difficulties. He described the recently launched strategic dialogue with Washington as a pivotal moment for Serbia.

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Millions of square meters of Serbian territory remain potentially contaminated by mines or unexploded ordnance.