Azernews.Az

BAKU – Armenia has agreed to hand over the captured Azerbaijani citizens and informed the International Committee of the Red Cross office in Yerevan about its readiness, a department head at the ICRC’s Baku office said.

Ilaha Huseynova said the organization has already launched talks on repatriating prisoners with Azerbaijan and Armenia.

According to her, Baku has also suggested that the ICRC broker the handover of Armenian captives, and talks on the issue are underway. "But when the process will begin depends on both countries’ relevant bodies."

Armenia’s defense ministry was quoted by the local media as saying that it was ready to transfer Azerbaijani captives and that the ICRC’s Yerevan office had been informed to that end.

Presidents Ilham Aliyev and Serzh Sargsyan issued a joint statement after their Russian-brokered talks in Sochi on March 5 committing to swiftly finalize the exchange of prisoners of war.

Armenia is holding in captivity two Azerbaijani junior sergeants - Roman Huseynov and Anar Hajiyev, captured on August 27, 2010 and on May 10, 2009 respectively.

12 Armenians are being held in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijan and Armenia fought a brutal war that ended with the signing of a fragile cease-fire in 1994. About 20 percent of Azerbaijani territory has been occupied by Armenian armed forces since then. Peace talks brokered by US, Russian and French mediators have been largely fruitless so far.