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Ulviyya Poladova

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Deputy Foreign Minister Elnur Mammadov stated that Azerbaijan returned the remains of more than 2,000 Armenian soldiers found since November 2020, stressing that the move was carried out without seeking revenge, AzerNEWS reports.

Speaking at the international conference titled "Modern approaches and strengthening cooperation in resolving the issue of missing persons," held within the framework of cooperation with the International Commission on Missing Persons (ICMP), Mammadov said Azerbaijani servicemen carried out the search operations under difficult weather conditions and amid a high risk of landmines.

"One of the most important conditions for achieving lasting peace in the post-conflict period is resolving this issue. The disappearance of people during armed conflicts is a tragedy that leaves a deep mark not only on individual families but on entire societies," he said.

Mammadov noted that the UN Secretary-General's report, "Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict," presented in May 2025, identifies the failure to respect international humanitarian law as one of the main causes of the large-scale human losses seen in numerous conflicts around the world.

"This reality once again confirms that the issue of missing persons is not only a national priority but also one of the key issues on the global humanitarian agenda," he stressed.

According to Mammadov, international humanitarian law places serious obligations on states to prevent people from going missing during armed conflicts and to clarify the fate of those who have disappeared.

He added that the 1949 Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols require parties to a conflict to determine the fate of missing persons, search for those who have died, identify human remains, and ensure they are treated with dignity.