International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) is ready to assist in repatriation of Armenian war prisoners and civilians, Ashot Astabatsyan, ICRC Yerevan, told Armenian News-NEWS.am. He commented on the Armenian, Azerbaijani and Russian Presidents’ statement in Sochi to complete the POW exchange process as soon as possible.

“We always expressed our readiness for repatriation of Armenian citizens. We are ready to assist the parties, if they want us to act mediators,” Astabatsyan said.

As Armenian News-NEWS.am reported previously, six Armenian POWs and six civilians are in Azerbaijan. The Armenian citizens are members of one family. They are Yeghishe, Ruzanna, Alfred, Gayane, and Petros Gevorgyans. Recently, it has become clear another young Armenian is also prisoner in Azerbaijan.

According to Azeri mass media, six Armenian servicemen are prisoners in Azerbaijan: Hrant Markosyan, Alik Tevosyan, Artur Sargsyan, Ohan Harutyunyan, Gevorg Tovmasyan and Karen Harutyunyan.

Upon the invitation of the President of the Russian Federation, the Presidents of Armenia, Russia and Azerbaijan met on March 5, 2011 in Sochi and discussed in detail the process and the prospects of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict resolution.

1. To conclude in the shortest possible period of time the exchange of the prisoners of war,

2. To strive to solve all contentious issues through peaceful means and to conduct along the cease-fire line an investigation with the participation of the parties under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs and with the assistance of the Special Representative of the OSCE Chairman-in-Office regarding probable incidents.

The Presidents stressed the importance of their regular meetings on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and agreed to continue them in the present format and further to the activities of the OSCE Minsk Group.