MINISTER OF NATIONAL SECURITY MEETS ICRC PRESIDENT

AzerTag, Azerbaijan
April 4 2006

According to the State Commission on Prisoners of War (POW), Hostages
and Missing Citizens, its Chairman, Minister of National Security
of Azerbaijan, Lieutenant-General Eldar Mahmudov met a delegation of
the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) consisting of its
President Jakob Kellenberger, Head of the ICRC section on operations
in Eastern Europe and Central Asia Isabelle Barras and Head of the
ICRC delegation in Azerbaijan Mary Werntz.

The Minister provided the visitors with information about activities
of the State Commission towards release of the POWs and hostages
and finding the missing persons, enhancing cooperation with the
International Committee of the Red Cross, and joint efforts taken to
resolve existing problems.

He said the comparative analysis of the missing persons’ lists
available at the Commission and provided by ICRC is now underway,
noting that initial results on eliminating of existing discrepancies
have been achieved. Eldar Mahmudov advised that information about
1472 missing persons have been specified by the working group and
submitted to ICRC Baku office.

The Minister pointed out that the draft memorandum on organization
of search of the persons who went missing as a result of the
Nagorno-Karabakh conflict presented by ICRC in 2005, has been
considered by the State Committee, and relevant proposals have been
submitted to the International Committee of the Red Cross.

Eldar Mahmudov said the Commission has reliable information at its
disposal confirming that 783 of 4617 missing persons were taken
hostages and prisoners, and are currently held in Armenia and the
occupied territories of Azerbaijan. He described the release – within
two months – of 8 Azerbaijani and 10 Armenian citizens from captivity
as a striking example of cooperation with the International Committee
of the Red Cross.

ICRC President Jakob Kellenberger thanked the Minister for providing
sincere and comprehensive information, and highly praised the recent
fruitful activities of the State Commission.

The parties pointed to the importance of enhancement of the existing
cooperation.