BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4. Azerbaijan expects OSCE to be more active in the field of mine clearance in the country and implement specific projects, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov told reporters on the sidelines of a joint briefing with Member of the Federal Council of Switzerland and Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs, OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Ignazio Cassis, in Baku today, Trend's correspondent reports from the event.

The minister noted that the contamination of the liberated territories in Azerbaijan with mines and unexploded ordnance is one of the most serious problems for the country.

According to him, since the 2020 Second Karabakh War, 433 people have died or received various degrees of bodily injuries as a result of mine explosions.

Bayramov pointed out that mine clearance work was carried out in Azerbaijan even before 2020, and the Azerbaijan National Agency for Mine Action (ANAMA) was established at that time. However, the scale of the problem has completely changed after the territories were liberated from occupation.

"Today, the main burden of mine clearance work falls on the Azerbaijani state. Along with ANAMA, the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and several private companies also participate in this process," the minister said.

He emphasized that although some states and international organizations support Azerbaijan in this direction, the main part of the work is carried out through the country's own resources.

According to the minister, it is important for the organization to pay more attention to this area in terms of eliminating the consequences of one of the longest-running conflicts in the OSCE area, developing the region, expanding transport links, and ensuring the safe return of former internally displaced persons to their homelands.

"Considering the OSCE's experience in implementing various projects and the serious potential of a number of member states in the field of mine clearance, our expectation is that the OSCE will be more active in this direction and organize the implementation of specific mine clearance projects in Azerbaijan," Bayramov stressed.

The minister also said that Azerbaijan regularly raises this issue at OSCE platforms in Vienna and once again brought these expectations to the attention of Cassis during his visit to Baku.