Azernews.Az

By Aisha Jabbarova

The implementation of the joint statement about the cessation of military operations between Azerbaijan and Armenia, opened new opportunities for peace, security and cooperation in the region, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Ceyhun Bayramov said while receiving the Regional Director for Europe and Central Asia of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Martin Schuepp on December 7, the ministry’s press service has reported.

The joint statement signed between Azerbaijan, Russia and Armenia on November 10, ensured the cessation of the 44-day-war and the peaceful return of occupied Aghdam, Kalbajar and Lachin regions to Azerbaijan’s control. The agreement also envisages the return of Azerbaijani IDPs to Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh and the seven adjacent regions under the control of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.

Taking into consideration the new developments in the region, Bayramov expressed hope that ICRC will contribute to improving the living conditions of all people in Azerbaijan’s territories affected by the Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict and to ensure peaceful coexistence of Azerbaijanis and Armenians.

In turn, Martin Schuepp informed about the work done to resolve the relevant issues related to the mandate of the ICRC, arising from the joint statement of 10 November.

He also noted that the ICRC highly appreciates the cooperation between Azerbaijan and the ICRC developed over the past years, as well as the steps taken by Azerbaijan to comply with international humanitarian law, which forms the basis of the organization's mandate.

The sides also exchanged views on the prospects of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the ICRC and discussed ways to further increase the efficiency of the ICRC's activities in our country.

The clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan resumed after Armenia launched large-scale attacks on Azerbaijani forces and civilians on September 27. Five Azerbaijani civilians were killed in the first day of the Armenian attacks. Over 90 Azerbaijani civilians were killed in Armenian's indiscriminate attacks on Azerbaijani civilians. Azerbaijan launched counter-offensive operations that ended in the liberation of over 300 settlements, villages. Azerbaijan also liberated five city centres and the historic Shusha city that was liberated on November 8.

The peace agreement ended the 30-year-old conflict between Baku and Yerevan over Azerbaijan’s Nagorno-Karabakh region that along with the seven adjacent districts came under the occupation of Armenian armed forces in the war in the early 1990s. For about three decades, Armenia failed to implement the UN Security Council resolutions demanding the withdrawal of the Armenian troops, which was the main obstacle to the resolution of the conflict.