BAKU: Chair of State Commission on POWs, Hostages, MIAs meets ICRC

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
March 2 2005

CHAIRMAN OF THE STATE COMMISSION ON PRISONERS OF WAR, HOSTAGES AND
UNACCOUNTED FOR MEETS WITH ICRC DELEGATION
[March 02, 2005, 12:21:07]

Chairman of the State Commission of the Azerbaijan Republic on
Prisoners of War, Hostages as and Unaccounted For Eldar Mahmudov met
with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) to discuss the memorandum on organizing the search for the
missing in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict presented by the
organization to Azerbaijan and Armenia.

The memorandum envisages that relevant commissions of both countries
will search for the missing as a result of the conflict, gather
information on burial places of those found dead, conduct exhumation
and identification procedures, and keep their provide moral support
to their families.

During the meeting, Chairman Eldar Mahmudov stressed that
humanitarian aspect of the issue stands above political motives and
factors, and that the State Commission would do its best for the
families of those persons to enjoy the right – in accordance with
relevant international conventions – of being kept informed. He
expressed confidence in further expanding of cooperation with the
International Committee of the Red Cross.

The parties also exchange views on a number of other issues of mutual
interest.