Andranik Kocharyan Meets Lynn Tracy

The Chairman of the National Assembly's Standing Committee on Defense and Security, Andranik Kocharyan, has met with Lynn Tracy, the U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, along with the military attache Scott Maxwell and the economic affairs officer Kim Zaefelin. During the meeting, the issue of the return of Armenian captives held in Azerbaijan was also discussed among other topics.

Addressing the immediate challenges arising from the war, Andranik Kocharyan emphasized the necessity of making every possible effort to carry out the exchange of captives. "The issue of prisoners of war is a significant humanitarian concern that must be resolved through all possible channels as soon as possible," Kocharyan stated.

The participants also talked about the involvement of terrorists and mercenaries from the Middle East in the war by Azerbaijan. "The participation of mercenaries from Syria and other countries in the Middle East in the war is undeniable, and this fact has been confirmed by the special services of leading countries in the world, including France and Russia. Essentially, in this war, the Defense Army has fought against Azerbaijan, Turkey, terrorists, and the newest weaponry from Israel," Andranik Kocharyan noted.

The Ambassador stated that the United States, as a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, will work towards finding a long-term political solution to the Nagorno-Karabakh issue.

The committee chairman pointed out that the guarantee of security in the region could be the clarification of the status of Nagorno-Karabakh, and that work should already be undertaken in this direction. At the end of the meeting, discussions were held regarding ensuring the security of economic relations, legislative initiatives aimed at the reform of the Armed Forces of Armenia, and educational opportunities for the non-commissioned officer corps with the support of the embassy.