In an unfolding diplomatic saga, Armenian Foreign Minister, Ararat Mirzoyan, has asserted that the conditions governing the return of detainees remain unchanged. This revelation comes in the wake of a dialogue with ‘Azatutyun’ (Freedom), wherein questions regarding the repatriation of captives were raised.
Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and his wife, Anna Hakobyan, recently met with the kin of war prisoners from the Shirak region. These individuals have recently been repatriated to Armenia. Pashinyan extended his gratitude towards the relatives for their patience and assured that every possible measure would be implemented to help the returned prisoners reintegrate into normal life. In response, the relatives expressed their appreciation for the government’s sustained efforts.
The exchange involved 31 RA servicemen, captured between 2020 and 2023, along with one serviceman from Nagorno-Karabakh, detained in September 2023. All have successfully traversed the Azerbaijani-Armenian border and are currently in the Republic of Armenia. This exchange was facilitated as a part of an agreement encapsulated in a rare joint statement between Armenia and Azerbaijan. Interestingly, the deal also entails Armenia relinquishing its veto of Azerbaijan hosting the COP29 UN Climate Change Conference next year.
Armenia has expressed its readiness to sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan before the close of this year, indicating a desire for diplomatic resolution. The Speaker of the National Assembly of Armenia, Alen Simonyan, voiced a similar sentiment to journalists. However, he also suggested that Azerbaijan is seemingly complicating the peace treaty process. Amid these developments, expectations for the implementation of the ‘second component’, as referenced by Foreign Minister Mirzoyan, are now on the horizon, though the details of this component remain undisclosed. The return of the remaining 32 Armenian prisoners of war from Azerbaijani captivity is expected soon, underscoring the ongoing international diplomacy and negotiations revolving around the issue of detainees.