Everyday Work in Progress: Pashinyan on Captives

On the issue of the return of captives and hostages, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a press conference that it is painful to see Russian partners often sidestepping the matter when discussing the trilateral statement of November 9.

"The issue of captives and those held as hostages is of great concern to us, and we are conducting daily work in this direction. I understand that this work may not be visible, and that is its peculiarity. Last December, we witnessed the return of 32 of our brothers who had been captured, and during that period, many questions were raised on the matter. I stated that efforts are being made, and this is a daily process. The work took a long time, and people sometimes become desperate and think that nothing is happening. However, that is not the case," Pashinyan added.

When asked what he fears that prevents him from raising the issue of the rights of return for Artsakh Armenians, the Prime Minister responded: "I have not signed any decision regarding the resolution of Nagorno-Karabakh. On the contrary, prior to the acceptance of that decision in Nagorno-Karabakh, a change of power took place, which was encouraged by well-known circles operating in Armenia and was welcomed. As for the right of return, I do not find realistic the way in which some of our compatriots in Nagorno-Karabakh and former officials are trying to frame the issue."