KIEV, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Ukraine will get 1 million euros (about 1.12 million U.S. dollars) from Austria for clearing landmines in the eastern regions, Ukrainian Ambassador to Austria Olexander Scherba said Wednesday.
"Austria's Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz has announced the allocation of 1 million euros for demining projects in eastern Ukraine," Scherba tweeted.
Later in the day, Kurz confirmed allocation of the aid, saying that the projects will be financed by the Austrian Development Agency and the Foreign Disaster Fund.
Kurz, who holds the chair of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe for 2017, arrived in Kiev on Wednesday for a two-day working visit.
The three-year-long conflict between the Ukrainian government troops and pro-independence rebels has left about 700,000 hectares of land in eastern Ukraine contaminated with landmines.
According to the Ukrainian Defense Ministry, it will take 10-15 years to clear the unexploded ordnance in the area.
