Armenia’s Foreign Minister: The issue of missing persons is equally important to both Armenia and Azerbaijan

Arminfo. The issue of missing persons is equally important to both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Armenian Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan stated this on October 7 during a government hour in the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia, responding to a question from Sonа Kazaryan, a member of the National Assembly representing the ruling Civil Contract faction.

The deputy specifically reminded that these days Baku is hosting another conference dedicated to this issue, which some opposition forces are attempting to exploit. She asked whether Mirzoyan had discussed the matter with his Azerbaijani counterpart Jeyhun Bayramov on the sidelines of the UN summit.

In response, the head of Armenia’s foreign policy agency agreed that a new wave of criticism against the leadership of the Republic of Armenia had begun in a number of Armenian media outlets, following new demands made by the President of Azerbaijan toward Armenia. “Meanwhile, we also have the problem of missing persons and related humanitarian issues. And if Baku is making certain demands, then this is also our demand. Today, we are talking about the need to return Armenian prisoners and determine the fate of missing persons. It has been said many times, and continues to be said, that this issue remains a permanent item on our agenda. It was also discussed in Bishkek during the meeting between RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev. The Armenian side has repeatedly called for making this work tangible,” Ararat Mirzoyan said, adding that the issue was also raised during his meeting with Jeyhun Bayramov.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade noted that this was not a demand by Baku, but one of the standing issues raised during meetings with representatives of Azerbaijan.

It should be noted that Baku is hosting the IV International Conference “Strengthening Trust and Developing Effective Mechanisms and Solutions for Resolving the Problem of Missing Persons,” organized by the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons within the framework of the Baku Dialogue on Missing Persons. Speaking at the forum, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev stated that Armenia must provide complete information about the fate of Azerbaijanis who went missing as a result of the war, as well as the locations of mass and individual graves. “Despite the end of the conflict, determining the fate of missing persons remains one of the most important issues for the Azerbaijani state. Azerbaijan’s full restoration of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as the consistent policy it is pursuing, have created a historic opportunity for lasting peace and cooperation in the South Caucasus,” the President of Azerbaijan said. He also noted that “establishing lasting peace, along with political agreements, requires strengthening trust and eliminating the humanitarian consequences of the conflict.” “After the war, new opportunities emerged to search for our missing citizens. Information concerning human lives must not be the subject of political conditions. Armenia must provide all information about the fate of missing Azerbaijanis and the locations of mass and individual graves, as well as create conditions for opening the relevant archives and collecting witness testimonies,” he said.