Azerbaijan ready to provide medical assistance to wounded Armenian soldiers and help in their evacuation - Hikmet Hajiyev

Baku/22.09.23/Turan: Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev has held meetings with the leaders of the ICRC Baku office and other international partners.

"It was noted that the Azerbaijani armed forces strictly observed international humanitarian law and avoided collateral damage by all means during the local anti-terrorist measures that lasted 23 hours and 51 minutes. As the Prime Minister of Armenia himself admitted, there were no mass casualties among the civilian population. In this regard, the unverified and unserious statements of EU, French and German officials remain incomprehensible," Hajiyev wrote on social platform X.

During the meeting with the ICRC, the Azerbaijani side said that all necessary conditions have been and will be created for delivery of medicines, food and other goods through the ICRC on the Lachyn-Khankendi and Aghdam-Khankendi roads.

"The Azerbaijani side is ready to provide medical assistance to wounded servicemen of Armenian origin or help them through the ICRC. Upon request, the movement of ICRC medical vehicles to collect wounded servicemen is supported. For this purpose, we are also ready to allocate ambulances and provide medical assistance," Hajiyev continued.

Medical transport may also come to Armenia from the country for medical evacuation.

Work is under way with Russian peacekeepers to collect bodies of fighters left on the battlefield.

 "We support the reception of additional personnel from the ICRC Geneva office. We also support sending additional personnel from the Baku office to the Khankendi branch. On the basis of voluntary and individual choice, we ensure the safe movement of civilians with their own transport on the Khankendi-Lachin road. Those who wish to travel are mainly family members of military personnel. Military personnel who have voluntarily laid down their arms are free to go, as we openly state. Within the framework of the concept of civil-military co-operation, Azerbaijani military and civilian personnel on the ground help the civilian population and will continue to do so," Hajiyev said.

It ought to be noted that there were reports in telegram channels that 6 ICRC vehicles were travelling from Khankendi to Khojavand to pick up the wounded. -06В-