Artsakh leaders during their sham trial in a Baku court

The release of Armenian captives by Azerbaijan will strengthen peace, said Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan on Friday, explaining that the matter continues to remain an “unresolved issue” as Baku and Yerevan continue their dialogue.

Speaking at joint press conference in Yerevan with his Estonian counterpart, Margus Tsahkna, Mirzoyan reiterated Yerevan’s position that the established peace with Azerbaijan requires institutionalization. He noted that “peace exists, and we are reaping its fruits, but we also know that it needs to be preserved.”

Mirzoyan said that along with the resolved issues, such as transit and bilateral trade, there are also unresolved issues, “the most sensitive of which for the Armenian society is the issue of Armenian prisoners in Azerbaijan.

“There are [Armenian] prisoners in Baku. They should be released as soon as possible, and their release will strengthen peace,” Mirzoyan said, adding that the dialogue with the Azerbaijani side is continuing.

The foreign minister added that the departure of the International Committee of the Red Cross—by decision of the Azerbaijani authorities—from Azerbaijan has complicated the situation. The problem exists, efforts are ongoing, but there is no news yet, Mirzoyan concluded, adding that the only news that could be is the release of a new group of Armenian captives by Azerbaijan.

—