Karabakh: ICRC says continues work on exchange of PoWs

PanARMENIAN.Net - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) continues to work on the exchange of prisoners of war between Armenia and Azerbaijan, ICRC President Peter Maurer said in an interview with Izvestia.

“Progress has been made, the captives are returning home. At the same time, there are still disputes about some of the detainees: whether they are considered prisoners of war, what their status is and whether they can return. We continue to work on these issues," Maurer noted.

According to him, the Red Cross has direct access to the detainees.

“The Azerbaijani government has informed us there were disagreements with the Armenian side regarding the status of [the detainees]. Baku and Yerevan should settle this problem among themselves. We can share our experience, we can give recommendations, but the respective governments must determine and make a final assessment of the status themselves. We are in contact with both sides. And I hope that in the future it will be possible to find a solution to the problem for all detainees who are in Armenia and Azerbaijan," Maurer said.

Maurer also said that funding for ICRC's work in Karabakh has been increased: “At the moment, our budget is about four to five times larger than in the 27-year period before. Previously, our budget was approximately $10-11 million, while now we are approaching $50 million and have significantly increased our presence in the region. We help displaced people, we help people who are returning."

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side has returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.