Azerbaijan releases 15 Armenian POWs; EU, Russia welcomes the transfer

Azerbaijan on Saturday launched to Armenia 15 prisoners of battle captured final yr throughout hostilities over the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh area, the international ministry in Baku stated.The ministry additionally stated that beneath the deal mediated by Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, Yerevan reciprocated by offering Baku with maps of minefields within the battle zone.Fighting broke out between Azerbaijan and Armenia in September 2020 over Nagorno-Karabakh, claiming round 6,000 lives over six weeks.The battle resulted in November with a Russian-brokered ceasefire beneath which Yerevan ceded swathes of territory it had managed for many years.ALSO READ: Overnight mass shootings in US depart 2 useless, 30 woundedOn Saturday, “Azerbaijan handed over to Armenia 15 detained Armenians in exchange for the map of 97,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in the Agdam district,” one of many territories Armenia has ceded to Baku, Azerbaijan’s international ministry stated in a press release.The ministry additionally thanked US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, prime US diplomat for Europe Philip Reeker, European Council President Charles Michel, and the OSCE Swedish chairmanship for his or her roles within the negotiations.”Our brothers returned to their families thanks to the efforts of Georgia’s Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili, our Georgian brothers as well as our partners from the US and EU,” Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan instructed journalists.ALSO READ: Brazil President Jair Bolsonaro fined for maskless motorcyle rallyHe stated he had earlier “provided Azerbaijan with a certain number of minefield maps through Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.”Garibashvili’s workplace stated in a press release: “An important step has been made towards the amelioration of the security environment in the South Caucasus region.”‘First step’A senior EU diplomat stated Michel helped dealer “parallel humanitarian gestures” previous to the settlement’s announcement.Michel thought of it “a first step towards renewing confidence, an effort the EU is ready to fully support”, the diplomat added.Russia, which has deployed peacekeeping troops to Karabakh, additionally welcomed the transfer.”Wonderful and long-awaited news. We welcome such steps,” international ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated on Telegram.The mountainous area of Nagorno-Karabakh is among the most closely mined locations within the former Soviet Union.ALSO READ: 12 killed, over 100 injured in gasoline explosion in ChinaSeven Azerbaijani troops and 18 civilians have died and 110 have been wounded by mines in and close to Nagorno-Karabakh for the reason that ceasefire, the Azerbaijani authorities says.Both Azerbaijani and Armenian forces planted mines throughout a bloody battle within the early Nineteen Nineties.Tensions have been once more operating excessive since May, when Armenia accused Azerbaijan’s navy of crossing its southern border to “lay siege” to a lake shared by the 2 international locations.Pashinyan on the time requested Russian President Vladimir Putin for navy help.Moscow stated it will assist with the delimitation and demarcation of the neighbours’ borders.Aliyev stated final month that Azerbaijan was prepared for peace talks with Armenia, whereas Pashinyan introduced later the 2 ex-Soviet nations have been holding discussions on the delimitation and demarcation of their shared borders.Ethnic Armenian separatists in Nagorno-Karabakh broke away from Azerbaijan because the Soviet Union collapsed, and the following battle has claimed round 30,000 lives.