It Is Unacceptable for Azerbaijan to Set Conditions for the Return of Prisoners, Says MP

This issue is currently under discussion. For now, I cannot say whether Azerbaijan wants to become a member of the EAEU or not. I do not have any observations or studies regarding this matter.

This was stated by MP Armen Khachatryan from the "My Step" faction during a conversation with reporters, addressing Armenia's position on preventing Azerbaijan's participation in the EAEU meeting.

In response to the question of whether it is acceptable for Azerbaijan to participate in the EAEU meeting conditioned on the return of prisoners, the MP replied, "Of course, it is unacceptable. It is unacceptable for me that Azerbaijan sets any conditions for the return of prisoners. This issue should be resolved according to international legal norms, and Azerbaijan is obliged to return the prisoners without preconditions. I believe the international community must act much more actively in this direction, and this issue should be resolved as soon as possible," noted Armen Khachatryan.

The MP assured that Armenia will use all its levers, opportunities, and resources to secure the return of the prisoners, but he stated that Azerbaijan's behavior is unacceptable if the return of prisoners is conditioned on any preconditions.

Referring to the Prime Minister's statement that military service must be made more attractive and shortened, Armen Khachatryan said that the Armenian army should be professional, and the norms of military service should be reviewed. "We cannot allow the years of service to be a waste or ineffective. It must be maximally concentrated; the soldier should have no time and should spend the entire service in training. Regarding what mechanisms will be implemented in the future and how it will be executed, currently, the Ministry of Defense is already formulating a strategy in this direction," the MP said.