JD Vance says release of remaining Armenian prisoners to be raised in Azerbaijan

U.S. Vice President JD Vance said that the release of the remaining Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan will "certainly" be discussed during his trip to Baku.

“That’s certainly going to come up,” he said at a press briefing at Yerevan airport when asked by Armenpress whether he would touch upon the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan during his visit to Baku. 

“We have a very good relationship with both the Prime Minister here but also with President Aliyev in Azerbaijan. I heard the Prime Minister said this yesterday actually that he is optimistic about the peace deal based on where we are compared to where we were just a few months ago. So we are certainly going to raise a number of topics but I think we are going to continue to work very successfully with the Azeris and the Armenians,” JD Vance added before departing from Yerevan to Baku.

The remaining 19 Armenian prisoners held unlawfully in Azerbaijan include former political and military leaders of Nagorno-Karabakh, such as former presidents Arayik Harutyunyan, Bako Sahakyan, and Arkady Ghukasyan; former Foreign Minister Davit Babayan; former Defense Minister Levon Mnatsakanyan; and former State Minister Ruben Vardanyan.