Tigran Avinyan Welcomes ICRC Representatives

On November 30, Tigran Avinyan met with the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) delegation in Armenia, Claire Maitraux, in connection with her mission's conclusion, as well as the newly appointed head of the delegation, Thierry Ribot.

The Deputy Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Claire Maitraux for her work during her tenure and hoped that under Thierry Ribot’s leadership, the comprehensive cooperation with the ICRC delegation would continue and expand further.

ICRC officials thanked the Armenian state authorities for their support, which enables the effective implementation of the organization's mission. Claire Maitraux and Thierry Ribot also provided detailed information on the progress of ICRC activities.

The parties discussed various issues related to the process of exchanging prisoners, search operations for missing persons, and the actions concerning the recovery of deceased individuals.

Tigran Avinyan emphasized the ICRC's support and mediating role, as well as the urgency of accelerating the aforementioned processes. He noted that the Armenian side fully adheres to the civilized norms of treatment of prisoners of war established by the Geneva Conventions and their Additional Protocols, and will continue to follow the letter and spirit of the conventions.

Avinyan addressed the cases of violations of international humanitarian law by Azerbaijan both during and after military actions. He also expressed concern over the obstacles created by the Azerbaijani side regarding the return of captives and the search operations for missing persons and the remains of the deceased.

Tigran Avinyan presented the main principles and mechanisms proposed by the Armenian side regarding the prisoner exchange process. He further emphasized the importance of accelerating the process as much as possible.

The interlocutors also touched upon the humanitarian situation in Artsakh and the assessment of the needs of the people of Artsakh.