Pashinyan on Putin's Statement Regarding Non-Expectancy of Artsakh Leaders in Armenia

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated today during a press conference that daily efforts are being made to return prisoners of war, hostages, and other detained persons held in Azerbaijan. This response was given to a question about the work being done to transfer the former presidents of Artsakh and high-ranking military-political officials from Nagorno-Karabakh to Armenia or any third country.

“I understand that the description of this daily work seems pointless until there are results. In previous meetings with the families of our compatriots who were captured, I acknowledged their viewpoint. At a certain point, and with all due respect, I avoided meeting with them because I understood that whatever I would say, whether we did this or that, called this or that, it doesn’t matter as long as your relatives are not home. That is a normal perception. Therefore, the correct and solid answer to the question is that we are working daily. Is that work effective? Obviously not until the return occurs. But in the same way, we had a very long period of unproductive work on the issue of bringing back our brothers who returned in December. It was ineffective until they returned. Even five minutes before their return, it was ineffective and a Sisyphean task that we were obliged to do,” highlighted Pashinyan, emphasizing that many might feel that discussions about daily efforts are meaningless.

Regarding Russian President Vladimir Putin's statement that the former presidents of Artsakh are not expected in Armenia, Pashinyan remarked that he could not comment since he personally did not hear such a statement or perhaps did not notice it. “I prefer to comment on direct quotes attributed to others only after I have personally read or familiarized myself with them,” he said.