70 Prisoners of War and Civilians Released Through Russian Mediation, Says Ayvazyan

Both the co-chairs of the Minsk Group and various world leaders, as well as several international organizations, have clearly stated that the issue of Artsakh is not resolved. This was announced by acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Ara Ayvazyan during a question-and-answer session with the National Assembly, in response to questions from MP Sergey Bagratyan.

Bagratyan stated that Russia has obligations as the guarantor of the ceasefire, and Armenian citizens remain in captivity following the November 9 agreement. “All captives must be returned to their countries. Why is Azerbaijan daring to hold the prisoners and telling the Minsk Group that the issue of Artsakh no longer exists?” he questioned.

“Azerbaijan has long insisted that there can be no further discussion regarding the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, and the matter is resolved; it is time to start a new phase in the South Caucasus,” Ayvazyan noted.

Regarding the return of prisoners, Ayvazyan mentioned that the issue of captives is under attention. “We should point out with satisfaction that through Russian mediation, 70 prisoners of war and other civilian individuals have already been released. The issue is also in the focus of international attention and has become an agenda item for the co-chairs of the Minsk Group.”