Azerbaijan, ICRC mull co-op, developments on Lachin road

On December 22, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met with Dragana Kojic, Head of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) Office in Azerbaijan, Azernews reports citing the Foreign Ministry.

The parties discussed issues of cooperation between Azerbaijan and the ICRC, work done in the region following the Karabakh conflict, and the latest situation on the Lachin road.

Jeyhun Bayramov emphasized the significance of the ICRC's activities in Azerbaijan. He also provided an update on the peaceful protests against the illegal exploitation of Azerbaijan's natural resources in the area of Russian peacekeepers' temporary deployment on the Lachin road. Furthermore, the minister discussed the misuse of the Lachin road for transporting Armenia-made landmines.

The Azerbaijani minister emphasized that there is no evidence to support claims that Azerbaijan blocked the Lachin road, used a "blockade" against Armenian residents, or was about to unleash a "humanitarian catastrophe". Along this road, the ICRC vehicles travel frequently as well. He stated that the road is open for travel by civilians, vehicles, and goods and that Azerbaijan is prepared to offer all necessary assistance to the local population directly through the ICRC.

Meanwhile, Bayramov emphasized that great care needed to be taken to prevent people posing as local Armenians from obstructing traffic and attempting to portray the situation as a "humanitarian catastrophe" by preventing people from using the road.

The officials also discussed other topics of shared interest.

The ICRC, a private humanitarian institution, was founded in 1863 in Geneva, Switzerland. Its 25-member committee has a unique authority under international humanitarian law to protect the life and dignity of the victims of international and internal armed conflicts.

The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is an international humanitarian movement with approximately 97 million volunteers, members, and staff worldwide, which was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.

The National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies exist in nearly every country in the world. Currently, 192 National Societies are recognized by the ICRC and admitted as full members of the federation. Each entity works in its home country according to the principles of international humanitarian law and the statutes of the international movement.