The Armenian Red Cross is ready for exchanging POWs with Azerbaijan. However, Azerbaijan has to be informed of this, Ashot Astabatsyan, ICRC Yerevan, told NEWS.am.

“We are acting as a neutral mediator. We are an independent humanitarian organization with status of neutral mediator,” he said. Astabatsyan did not even report the approximate date for exchange.

At an Armenian-Azerbaijani-Russian presidential meeting ion Astrakhan, Oct. 27, the Armenian and Azerbaijani Presidents, Serzh Sargsyan and Ilham Aliev, reached an agreement on the exchange of POWs.

Members of one Armenian family are in captivity in Azerbaijan. They are Yeghishe, Ruzanna, Alfred, Gayane, and Petros Gevorgyans. They were taken prisoners this January. Also six Armenian servicemen are prisoners in Azerbaijan: Hrank Markosyan, Alik Tevosyan, Artur Sargsyan, Ohan Harutyunyan, Gevorg Tovmasyan and Karen Harutyunyan.

Two Azeri POWs, as well as one civilian are in Armenia.

According to Azeri mass media, the soldiers Anar Gajiyev and Roman Guseinov, as well as 47-year-old Eldar Tagiyev, are in Armenia.

The President also agreed to exchange the bodies of those killed. The Armenian shepherd Manven Saribekyan died in Baku under mysterious circumstances. The bodies of two Azeri commandoes, Farid Ahmedov and Mubariz Ibrahimov, are in Armenia. The latter was declared a national hero in Azerbaijan.