Azerbaijan releases 17 Armenian prisoners after negotiation talks in Geneva

Europe, News October 6, 2022 , by IRIA No Comments

Azerbaijan released 17 Armenian prisoners on October 5, 2022, as the two ex-Soviet nations relaunched peace talks after recent border clashes.

The move comes after U.S. and EU mediate to resolve volatile issues in the Caucasus region. Top diplomats from Azerbaijan and Armenia met in Geneva on October 3, 2022, as a follow-up to the EU-mediated peace talks that took place between the leaders of the two countries in Brussels last month.

A statement released by Azerbaijan’s foreign ministry stated that Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov met his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in Geneva to begin “drafting the text of the peace treaty”. Azerbaijan called for “full withdrawal of the Armenian armed units from the territories of Azerbaijan, the opening of transport and communication lines”, the ministry said in the statement.

Armenia released a statement regarding the meeting stating that “The parties exchanged ideas on the peace treaty, ensuring the rights and security guarantees of Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh.”

The statement further said that the Armenian side reaffirmed its demands of Azerbaijani troops’ “withdrawal from the sovereign territory of Armenia.” The two sides also discussed releasing of prisoners and “the introduction of international mechanisms for controlling the situation on the border”.

In response to the release of prisoners, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinian tweeted “I highly appreciate the efforts of the United States [in] assisting to return our 17 POW (Prisoners of war).” He expressed that he hopes to see further “progress in resolving both humanitarian issues and establishing peace in the region” through such international mediation.

With Moscow increasingly isolated on the world stage following its invasion of Ukraine, the U.S. and the European Union have taken a leading role in mediating the Armenia-Azerbaijan normalization process.

*^{Azerbaijan’s Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov has met his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan in the Georgian capital Tbilisi. (Image Credit: AFP/via TRT)}*

The two foreign ministers also held peace talks in New York last month, mediated by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken. Blinken hailed Azerbaijan’s decision to release the prisoners. State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that Secretary Blinken “reiterated our commitment to helping Armenia and Azerbaijan resolve issues peacefully.” He further stated that Blinken “expressed our appreciation for the positive steps Armenia and Azerbaijan are taking toward reaching a sustainable peace agreement.”

Last month, at least 286 military servicemen were killed from both sides as a result of the worst border clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Baku and Yerevan fought two wars over territorial disputes related to Nagorno-Karabakh, a region in Azerbaijan with a significant ethnic Armenian population.