Azerbaijan, Baku, Aug.24 / Trend, K.Zarbaliyeva /
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has not received appeal from sides regarding return of POWs and civilians in captivity in Armenia and Azerbaijan, ICRC Defense Program Coordinator in Azerbaijan Sylvie Grenisher said in an interview with media outlets.
He said the ICRC does not interfere in talks on return of captives and helps in this process only if there is the conflict sides' consent and appeals.
"If the conflict sides appeal to us in connection with return of POWs and civilians in captivity, we help them to realize this process. Repatriation of captivated individuals is carried out only in case when they agree to return to their country. At present, the ICRC has not received appeals from the conflict sides regarding return of POWs and civilians in captivity," Grenisher said.
Armenian armed forces captured Azerbaijani Army Sergeant Roman Huseinov on Aug. 27, 2010.
Previously, there are three Armenian POWs and members of the Armenian family in captivity in Azerbaijan.
Previously, Azerbaijan transferred three Armenian soldiers to the third party at their behest.
Working under the Geneva Convention, the ICRC has been operating in the region since 1992 in connection with the Nagorny Karabakh conflict.
The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Armenian armed forces have occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan since 1992, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.
Azerbaijan and Armenia signed a ceasefire agreement in 1994. The co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group - Russia, France, and the U.S. - are currently holding the peace negotiations.
Armenia has not yet implemented the U.N. Security Council's four resolutions on the liberation of the Nagorno-Karabakh and the surrounding regions.