The donation of the Republic of Slovenia

Dr. Dimitrij Rupel, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and Mr. Dorijan Marši?, Director of ITF signed the contract for 21 milion SIT for ITF activities in Caucasus.

The Republic of Slovenia has established an active role in the regions of South Caucasus and Central Asia in the period of its presidency to OSCE. The main activites are seen in the demining projects strongly connected with the stabilization of general conditions, invigorating the security, democratization, supervising the migrations and border administering in Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. ITF is the main organization that will stay in that region after the presidency of the Republic of Slovenia to OSCE as a legacy of slovenian efforts in OSCE.

ITF has extended the activities to the Caucasus region based on the wish of donors in 2002. Togehter with the project of humanitarian demining ITF supports also regional training courses and improves the quality of local staff working in national mine action centers. The trainings strenghten to the regional cooperation and confidence in solving the common problems. This model is used in the South Eastern Europe and it proved itself as very successful.

The donation of the Republic of Slovenia is earmarked for projects like the conference titled "Confidence building and regional cooperation through mine action" under OSCE patronage, estimating the problem of mine vicitms in South Caucasus region, realization of integral project for mine victims assistance in Azerbaijan, supporting the demining operations with the team of 6 demining dogs in Azerbaijan and founding the ITF regional office.