Pashinyan dodges question about pressure on Baku ahead of COP29 for return of Armenian captives

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YEREVAN, 23 October. /ARKA/. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said in Parliament today that the COP29 climate conference in Azerbaijan's capital Baku is a good occasion to draw attention of the international community to the current problems in the region and the Armenian-Azerbaijani peace process./pp ‘As for the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners, we raise this issue at all our working discussions and meetings with our partners, and we are grateful to all countries and organisations, which keep this issue on their agenda,’ he said./pp

Asked whether Armenia is going to call before COP29 to put pressure on Azerbaijan to release the Armenian captives, Pashinyan said the government is constantly assessing which actions and to what extent may have the greatest effect./pp 'We can make a public statement, and that may make the issue of return easier, or it may make it more difficult. Or if we make an official statement, it will make the issue of returning the prisoners impossible and close all prospects for their return. We assess what will be expedient at the moment and do what will be most effective, according to our assessment,’ the Prime Minister said./pp

Azerbaijan officially confirms that only 33 Armenian prisoners of war and civilians are in captivity, but Armenian human rights activists claim there are another 80 Armenians in captivity. -0-/p