Azerbaijan is holding at least 33 prisoners of war as of today, says Simonyan

In a speech at the summit of parliamentary leaders dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Black Sea Economic Cooperation in Turkey, National Assembly President Alen Simonyan stated:

“In the region of Black Sea economic cooperation, we continue to face serious security challenges. The 44-day war in Nagorno-Karabakh in the autumn of 2020 and the ongoing war in Ukraine have significant geopolitical implications for the overall security architecture.

In 2021, and then in September 2022, Azerbaijan undertook another unprovoked military aggression along the eastern and southeastern borders of Armenia, invading and seizing our sovereign territories. Currently, for over five months, Azerbaijan has grossly violated the provisions of the trilateral statement from November 9, 2020, blocking the Lachin corridor—the only lifeline for Nagorno-Karabakh—under the responsibility of Russian peacekeepers, resulting in a humanitarian crisis. On April 23, Azerbaijan illegally set up a checkpoint at the beginning of the Lachin corridor. Despite Azerbaijan claiming that the corridor is open, it effectively remains closed for free passage.

The crisis has received widespread international response. The European Court of Human Rights and the International Court of Justice of the United Nations have issued rulings regarding the unblocking of the Lachin corridor, which have been disregarded by official Baku.

Two and a half years have passed since the end of the war, and Azerbaijan is still holding at least 33 prisoners of war. The situation created by the use of aggression against Armenia cannot serve as a basis for stable and lasting peace.

Armenia has reaffirmed the principles of friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation in its foreign policy. We have no territorial claims against our neighbors and expect that our neighbors will also be guided by this principle. During the quadrilateral meeting held in Prague on October 6, 2022, with the participation of the President of France and the President of the European Council, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan reaffirmed their commitment to the UN Charter and the 1991 Almaty Declaration, through which both parties recognize each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty.”