We Have Certain Progress on the Return of Captured Countrymen, Says Nikol Pashinyan

“We have certain progress on the return of our captured compatriots, and, in fact, the principle that everyone should be exchanged for everyone has been agreed upon. Moreover, not only those captured during the war but also individuals who were caught in the Azerbaijani and Armenian sides before that must be returned. Now our task is to operate in such a way that we not only return the officially verified captives but also create mechanisms so that if other names are identified later, there won’t be issues related to their return,” Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated in his message.

He added that the process of clarifying the fate of the missing persons is slow but ongoing. On one hand, the extraction of bodies from areas under Azerbaijani control is taking place, while on the other hand, the identification of unidentified remains of martyrs is being conducted in Armenia. Since November 9, more than 600 bodies have been extracted, and currently, over 500 bodies are in the identification phase. There is a high probability that these bodies belong to our missing brothers.

There is some movement towards resuming the negotiation process regarding Nagorno-Karabakh. The representatives of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairing countries, the foreign ministers of Russia and France, and the U.S. Deputy Secretary of State have issued a joint statement. They reaffirmed their commitment and desire to work together on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh issue and to restore the full negotiation process. This is another important factor for reinforcing the documented ceasefire. Under these conditions, the service of our soldiers will become safer.

In the November 9 statement, there are no mentions of Meghri and the Meghri corridor. There is something else: the unblocking of transport infrastructures. If we are to think about the future, we must consider the possibility of new factors emerging in economic life. Will the restoration of railway connections between Armenia-Russia and Armenia-Iran change anything significant in our economy? I think it will. If we consider the issue in this context, the picture looks different.