Yerevan says release of Armenian prisoners key to ‘genuine reconciliation’ with Baku

Armenian Speaker Emphasizes Prisoner Release as Key to Reconciliation

ISTANBUL – Armenian Parliamentary Speaker Alen Simonyan stated that the release of Armenian detainees held in Azerbaijan and the clarification of missing persons cases are crucial for achieving “genuine reconciliation” with Baku. The comments were delivered at the Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) in Istanbul, Turkey. Azerbaijan has officially acknowledged holding 19 Armenian detainees, including former leaders of the breakaway region of Nagorno-Karabakh, currently serving sentences on charges including war crimes and terrorism.

Following the handover of four Armenian prisoners in January, Azerbaijani officials indicated that former Nagorno-Karabakh leaders would not be released. Armenia reports approximately 1,000 missing individuals since the conflict began in the late 1980s, while Azerbaijan reports 4,000. A meeting between commissions on missing persons was held in June 2025.

Simonyan highlighted progress on regional connectivity, specifically the Trump Route (TRIPP), as a “milestone” with potential for stability and economic cooperation. Limited trade between Armenia and Azerbaijan, initiated in late 2025, was described as an “encouraging sign of normalisation.”

Referring to the August 2025 peace treaty initialing and the TRIPP agreement, Simonyan asserted that “peace has prevailed” and expressed a desire for Turkey’s participation in regional peace efforts. Armenia and Turkey have been engaged in a normalization process since 2022, though diplomatic relations remain unestablished and the border remains closed.

Simonyan also met with Azerbaijani Parliamentary Speaker Sahiba Gafarova at the IPU assembly, stressing the importance of continued parliamentary dialogue to strengthen trust. The Armenian government has decided to have Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan attend the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in place of Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan and Special Envoy Ruben Rubinyan. The discussion centered on the need for the armenian government to secure the release of detainees as a step towards genuine reconciliation.

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