Dutch FM: Armenian POWs held in Azerbaijan must be immediately released

Panorama, Armenia
June 2 2021

In a letter to the parliament, caretaker Foreign Minister of the Netherlands Sigrid Kaag, referring to the discussions on the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) issue in the EU Council of Foreign Ministers, said that the Netherlands stresses the need for the immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) being held in Azerbaijan, as well as the urgent sending of a UNESCO mission to the region to assess the cultural heritage.

The Netherlands emphasizes the need for the immediate withdrawal of troops from the border between the two countries and the return to the negotiating table, the Embassy of Armenia in the Netherlands reported on Wednesday.

“On 28 May, at the initiative of the Netherlands, the EU issued a new joint statement expressing deep concern over border developments and stressing the need to ease tensions. It calls for the immediate withdrawal of troops from the border and highlights the need for resolving the issue of demarcation exclusively through negotiations.

“The statement also includes a call for the immediate release of Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijan,” Kaag said.

Disclaimer: This article was contributed and translated into English by Emil Lazarian. While we strive for quality, the views and accuracy of the content remain the responsibility of the contributor. Please verify all facts independently before reposting or citing.

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Emil Lazarian

“I should like to see any power of the world destroy this race, this small tribe of unimportant people, whose wars have all been fought and lost, whose structures have crumbled, literature is unread, music is unheard, and prayers are no more answered. Go ahead, destroy Armenia . See if you can do it. Send them into the desert without bread or water. Burn their homes and churches. Then see if they will not laugh, sing and pray again. For when two of them meet anywhere in the world, see if they will not create a New Armenia.” - WS