Ara Ayvazyan Addresses Prisoners of War Issue During Meeting with Sergey Lavrov

Acting Foreign Minister Ara Ayvazyan raised the issue of ensuring the return of all prisoners of war and civilians held captive by Azerbaijan during a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in an expanded format.

“During your visit, we began discussions on the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and will continue these discussions throughout the day. In this context, it is essential to create conditions for the resumption of the peace process under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs, represented by Russia, France, and the USA. The most crucial issue is ensuring the return of all prisoners of war and civilians held captive by Azerbaijan. This issue must be resolved as quickly as possible, as evidenced by numerous reports of ongoing massive violations of international humanitarian law. Equally urgent is the need to create basic conditions for displaced persons to return to their homes, provide humanitarian assistance to the population, and restore the economy of Artsakh. The preservation of historical and cultural heritage that has come under the control of the Azerbaijani armed forces is also of paramount importance,” Ayvazyan stated during his address.