China News Service, Beijing, December 14 Comprehensive news: On the 13th local time, Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged prisoners of war on the border between the two countries. Of these, 32 were transferred from Azerbaijan to Armenia and 2 from Armenia to Azerbaijan.
According to the Azerbaijani state news agency, two released Azerbaijani soldiers were captured in April this year. The ICRC conducted a health check on the 32 Armenian soldiers handed over and confirmed their health status before the two countries exchanged prisoners of war, the report said.
Of the 32 Armenian soldiers released, 31 were captured between 2020 and 2023, and one was captured in September this year, according to the Armenian news agency. According to reports, 32 soldiers are undergoing medical examinations and those who do not need to be hospitalized** will return home.
According to Agence France-Presse, this is the first exchange of prisoners of war between the two countries since clashes began in the Nagorno-Kara** (Nagorno-Karabakh region) in September this year.
On December 7, the Prime Minister's Offices of Azerbaijan and Armenia issued a joint statement stating that the two countries reaffirmed their intention to normalize relations and conclude a peace treaty on the basis of respect for the principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, in which they announced the exchange of prisoners of war.
According to TASS news agency on the 13th, Azerbaijan and Armenia are holding talks on the withdrawal of troops from the border areas of the two countries, but no decision has yet been made. (ENDS).