Basel, Switzerland, Dec. 5
By Elchin Huseynov - Trend:
Russia takes a serious approach to the problems of hostages, and advocates the release of all the hostages and a mutual exchange, the Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Dec. 5 at a press conference in Basel, Switzerland.
The Russian FM recalled a statement made after the Astrakhan meeting of the presidents of Russia, Azerbaijan and Armenia, according to which the heads of Azerbaijan and Armenia undertook to create a mechanism that will allow exchanging hostages and dead bodies, if there are killed.
Lavrov expressed hope that this statement will be taken into account in the parties' practical steps along the frontline and in the region.
Previously, the Armenian media reported that the Armenian forces, during an operation in the Shaplar village of Azerbaijan's occupied Kalbajar district on July 11, killed an Azerbaijani, Hasan Hasanov, and detained two other Azerbaijanis, Shahbaz Guliyev and Dilgam Asgarov.
A criminal case was launched against them.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan.
As a result of the ensuing war, in 1992 Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
The two countries signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, Russia, France and the US are currently holding peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.
Edited by SI