Georgia says worked with U.S. for 2-3 months to return 15 Armenian PoWs

PanARMENIAN.Net - Georgia was engaged with the United States, Armenia and Azerbaijan for the past 2-3 months to achieve the release of 15 prisoners of war, Deputy Prime Minister of Georgia, Foreign Minister David Zalkaliani.

Azerbaijan handed over 15 PoWs to Armenia in exchange for maps of minefields in the Aghdam region of Nagorno-Karabakh. The deal was negotiated with the active facilitation of Georgian Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili and , Acting U.S. Assistant Secretary for European and Eurasian Affairs Philip Reeker.

"Over the past 2-3 months, we have worked very actively with our main strategic partner (the United States - Ed.) to bring this process to fruition," Zalkaliani said.

"I am very glad that we have achieved such a result and once again I want to thank, first of all, our strategic partners Azerbaijan and Armenia, who realized very well that it is necessary to take steps to establish long-term peace and stability in the region."

Secretary of State Antony Blinken said earlier that the U.S. welcomes the release by Azerbaijan of 15 Armenian detainees.

"We're grateful to the Government of Georgia for its vital role facilitating discussions between the sides. Such steps will bring the people of the region closer to the peaceful future they deserve."

So far, more than 70 Armenian PoWs have returned home. Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev claims that persons still being kept in Baku are not prisoners of war but “terrorists and saboteurs”. Officials and human rights advocates from the Armenian side, however, maintain that Azerbaijan is still holding hundreds of people hostage, pledging to submit evidence proving the capture of said persons to international agencies and courts. At least 19 of the hundreds of Armenian captives have been tortured and killed, according to their lawyers. In addition, six Armenian troops were captured on Armenian soil in late May.