YEREVAN, JULY 25, ARMENPRESS. Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan has accused Azerbaijan of trying to use Armenian prisoners of war as a bargaining chip.

Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, Pashinyan said that Azerbaijan refuses to release Armenian prisoners of war because it tries to use them as a tool to pressure Armenia.

“Azerbaijan is trying to use the captives as a political bargaining chip, moreover not in specificity but as a tool to pressure Armenia generally ,” Pashinyan said.

He also explained why Armenia agreed to provide Azerbaijan with the minefield maps of the territories that went under Azeri control after the 2020 war.

“The international community was urging us to take steps to increase trust. And we made this step as a humanitarian step, to show our sincerity in the peace efforts,” Pashinyan said.