France Welcomes the Return of 15 Armenian Prisoners of War

France welcomes the release of 15 Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijan in exchange for the provision of maps of mined areas. According to a statement from the French Foreign Ministry reported by TASS, "France welcomes the release of 15 citizens of Armenia captured by Azerbaijan, as well as the provision of maps of mined areas in the Fizuli and Zangelan regions by Armenia," the ministry stated.

France, which is a co-chair of the OSCE Minsk Group, believes that this exchange, like the previous one that took place on June 11, was an important step towards reducing tensions between the parties and restoring trust.

"France calls for the fulfillment of obligations assumed by the parties on November 9, 2020, including the restoration of meaningful dialogue and the release of all Armenian prisoners of war," the statement continued. Together with its Minsk Group partners, France calls for the continuation of this positive momentum and reaffirms its willingness to contribute to long-term peace in the Caucasus.

It is worth noting that on July 3, the Armenian government announced: "Today, on July 3, 15 Armenian prisoners of war captured by Azerbaijan have returned to Armenia through the mediation of the Russian side. As a gesture of goodwill, the Armenian side has handed over maps of mined fields in the Fizuli and Zangelan regions to Azerbaijan." The names of the 15 Armenian prisoners of war who have returned to their homeland are as follows:
Vahagn Hakobian – Shirak Province
Georg Asatryan – Shirak Province
Gor Gasparyan – Shirak Province
Sisak Yengoyan – Shirak Province
Yuri Karapetyan – Shirak Province
Edgar Mahtesyan – Shirak Province
Aram Minasyan – Shirak Province
Mkrtich Minasyan – Shirak Province
Albert Petrosyan – Shirak Province
Armen Poghosyan – Shirak Province
Romik Sedrakyan – Shirak Province
Kamo Seyfilyan – Shirak Province
Yegish Aaslanyan – Shirak Province
Grigori Gevorgyan – Shirak Province
Andranik Manukyan – Shirak Province.

The Armenian government expresses gratitude to the Russian Federation for its mediating role.