Armenia and Azerbaijan Exchange Fallen Soldiers

Armenia and Azerbaijan have exchanged 200 bodies of soldiers who fell in the armed conflict over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.

 

Russian state media report this on the authority of the Red Cross (ICRC).

The exchange took place under the watchful eye of Russian forces overseeing the ceasefire, said ICRC’s, Peter Maurer. More than a thousand deaths were reported in the battle that lasted more than six weeks.

Azerbaijan made a substantial advance in the Armenia-controlled enclave, after which the government in Yerevan felt compelled to sign a peace agreement brokered by Russia in which Armenia cedes several parts of and around Nagorno-Karabakh.

The Armenians have not yet left all these areas.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev and his wife visited parts of the annexed areas on Monday, Azerbaijan media reported. Aliyev said on a visit to the city of Jabrayil that the “enemy” has destroyed the infrastructure there and will have to answer before international judges.

Russia has now deployed nearly 2,000 soldiers to monitor the file. Azerbaijan’s ally Turkey also wants to play a role in the surveillance. President Erdogan asked parliament for permission on Monday to send soldiers to the region.