Close
Back
Download NATO’s broadcast-quality video content free of charge
Log in
No account?
Forgot your password?
NATO MULTIMEDIA ACCOUNT
Access NATO’s broadcast-quality video content free of charge
Create an account
Check your inbox and enter verification code
We have sent a verification code to your email address.
.
Enter the code to verify your account. This code will expire in 30 minutes.
You have successfully created your account
From now on you can download videos from our website
Subscribe to our newsletter
If you would also like to subscribe to the newsletter and receive our latest updates, click on the button below.
Reset password
Enter the email address you registered with and we will send you a code to reset your password.
Reset password
We have sent a verification code to your email address.
Enter the code to verify your account. This code will expire in 30 minutes.
Create a new password
The password must be at least 12 characters long, no spaces, include upper/lowercase letters, numbers and symbols.
Your password has been updated
Click the button to return to the page you were on and log in with your new password.
On 10 July, a joint NATO-Ukraine project to reduce Ukraine's stock of landmines was launched in the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Over the course of the next 12 months, 400,000 antipersonnel landmines - approximately 7% of Ukraine's total stockpile - will be destroyed and recycled into plastic toys.
The project is part of the NATO Partnership for Peace Trust Fund, which was established in November 2000 to assist NATO Partner countries in the safe destruction of surplus munitions and weapons. This is the first such project in Ukraine. "This project is a very concrete example of our practical cooperation on defence reform and our joint efforts to eliminate the legacy of the cold war," said NATO Secretary General Lord Robertson at the opening ceremony.
Lord Robertson was in the Ukraine together with Permanent Representatives of the Alliance's 19 member countries, making up the North Atlantic Council, to take part in celebrations marking the fifth anniversary of the NATO-Ukraine partnership.
Eliminating a problem, creating capabilities
The Secretary General witnessed the destruction process, during which the plastic casing of the mines is crushed, so that no parts can be reused for their original purpose. They are then recycled to make toys for children, a sample of which was presented to the Secretary General.
The facility selected for the project - the Donetsk chemical plant - was modernised in order to make the destruction safe and in line with international standards. This investment will make it possible to use the plant for similar projects in the future.
This is an important element of Partnership for Peace projects - to build on local expertise and strengthen the capability of Partner countries to carry out defence reforms. The project was an initiative of the Canadian and Ukrainian governments, with funding provided by Canada, the Netherlands, Poland and Hungary. It is implemented by NATO's Maintenance and Supply Agency together with an Ukrainian company, Spivdruzhnist.