Conference in Egypt to discuss removal of mines

A conference will be held Cairo on Saturday to discuss the removal of 17,000 mines from Egypt's western desert left over since Second World War and caused the death of many people, an Egyptian official said on Wednesday.

The conference's coordinator Maher Khalifa told the press that the conference will focus on strategic and military dimensions of landmines. International cooperation of financing the removal of these mines and the responsibility of the countries that planted them are also on the agenda.

Egypt had requested $ 250 million dollars to remove the mines, but the economic aid committee in the European Union allocated $ 1.5 million.

Some countries, especially those who took part in WW II such as Germany and Britain, offered technical support in the form of experts, equipment and mine detectors and other high-tech equipment, but Egypt asserted the importance of their financial contribution.