Jeyhun Bayramov: Mobilizing international efforts to resolve issue of missing persons is crucial

Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Kathryne Bomberger the Director-General of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) for Missing Persons.

Azerbaijan's Foreign Ministry told Report that the sides discussed the issue of Azerbaijanis missing as a result of Armenia’s aggression against Azerbaijan and the occupation of Azerbaijani territories, the current situation regarding efforts to locate and identify the missing persons, as well as international cooperation in this regard.

Minister Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized that the issue of "missing persons" has always been a key focus, noting that during Armenia’s aggression in the early 1990s, nearly 4,000 Azerbaijanis, including civilians, children, and women, went missing.

He noted that since 2023, Azerbaijan has been organizing international conferences to raise awareness about this issue, and highlighted the active role of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Missing Persons, and Hostages of Azerbaijan in this process.

The necessity of mobilizing international efforts to resolve the issue of missing persons was emphasized.

The minister stressed that clarifying the fate of the missing persons is important both in terms of the rule of law, justice, and the normalization of post-conflict relations, and noted the essential role of the international community in this matter.

Additionally, it was noted that Azerbaijan has uncovered 23 mass graves in the territories liberated from occupation. The process of determining the whereabouts of the missing persons has been seriously hampered by the threat of mines.

During the meeting, the parties also exchanged views on other matters of mutual interest.