Today, December 13, Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged prisoners of war at the border. The event took place as part of steps to normalize relations between the countries after Baku took control of the Karabakh region.
Azerbaijan and Armenia exchanged prisoners
The exchange involved the release by Azerbaijan of 32 Armenians, most of whom were captured in late 2020.
In return, Yerevan handed over two Azerbaijani soldiers captured in April of this year.
Thirty-one servicemen of the armed forces of Armenia captured in 2020-2023 and one serviceman captured in Nagorno-Karabash in September have crossed the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and are on the territory of Armenia, the head of the Armenian government said.
What has been preceded
On December 7, the authorities of Azerbaijan and Armenia announced further steps to normalize relations and establish peace, including exchanging prisoners and continuing negotiations on a peace agreement.
Also, Yerevan withdrew the application to hold the next UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) in favour of Baku and called on other countries of the Eastern European region to support Azerbaijan.
In response, Baku supported Armenia's candidacy to join the Bureau of the East European Group of States COP.
The situation with Nagorno-Karabakh
It will be recalled that on September 19 of this year, Azerbaijan announced the beginning of "local anti-terrorist measures" in Nagorno-Karabakh. The operation of the Azerbaijani army has begun in the region.
Armenia refused to transfer its army to the territory of the region. The head of the Armenian government recognized the area of Azerbaijan as 86.6 thousand km2, which includes Nagorno-Karabakh.
However, a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan has not yet been concluded.
From January 1, 2024, the unrecognized Nagorno-Karabakh Republic’s capital in Khankendi (Stepanakert) will officially cease to exist. Azerbaijan regained control of the region 32 years after Karabakh declared "independence".
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