On November 30 – December 4, 2015 the Fourteenth Meeting of States Parties to the Convention on the Prohibition of the Use, Stockpiling, Production and Transfer of Anti-Personnel Mines and on Their Destruction (Ottawa Convention) takes place in Geneva.

The ceremonial opening of the Meeting was attended by Princess Astrid of Belgium; D.Reynders, Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium; M.Moller, Director-General of the UN Office in Geneva; K.Birli, Vice-President of the International Committee of the Red Cross; M.Burke, Director of «International Campaign to Ban Landmines» and B.Haering, President of the Council of Foundation of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining.

During the event its participants discuss issues related to the universalization and implementation of the Convention on national level, in particular those provisions of the document, which provide for the destruction of stockpiled anti-personnel mines, clearance of mined areas and assistance to victims of these weapons. Participants of the conference are hearing reports of the relevant Committees of the Convention’s Secretariat, as well as are exchanging pertinent information on progress in achieving the goals set out by the «Maputo Action Plan» of June 27, 2014.

Mykhailo Koval, First Deputy Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, head of the delegation of Ukraine to the Meeting, in his statement at the High-Level Segment informed about the work done by our country on the implementation of the Convention, drew attention to the problem of usage of anti-personnel mines by illegal armed groups, supported by the Russian Federation, in the southeast of Ukraine, as well as appealed to the international community to take immediate action to influence the aggressor in order to make Russia refuse from its support of terrorist activities and the continuation of aggression against Ukraine. On the same day M.Koval had a talk with D.Reynders, Vice Prime Minister - Minister of Foreign Affairs of Belgium.