Armenian FM expresses hope for release of hostages held in Azerbaijan

Armenian FM Ararat Mirzoyan has expressed hope that the Armenian POWs and hostages held in Azerbaijan will be released soon.

Speaking at a joint press conference with OSCE Chairperson-in-Office, Finland’s FM Elina Valtonen, Mirzoyan said he has discussed the issue with Azerbaijani officials. 

“Even under the established conditions of peace and the agreements reached on several essential issues, there remain unresolved matters — the first being the release of the individuals held hostage in Baku. Daily work is being carried out, which is not always visible or effective. Even at this moment, I want to express hope that we will have good news in the near future. Literally yesterday, in Sharm El Sheikh, we discussed this issue with our Azerbaijani colleagues as well. Let us hope that our efforts will soon be crowned with positive results,” he said.

Given the fact that the International Committee of the Red Cross has ceased its activities in Azerbaijan, the involvement of third countries is important — especially in the context of sharing information regarding the individuals held as prisoners, the FM added.