France, U.S. urge Azerbaijan to release all Armenian PoWs

PanARMENIAN.Net - France and the United States have welcomed Azerbaijan's release of 15 Armenian prisoners of war on July 3, calling for the return of all captives still being held in Baku.

As a co-chair of the OSCE’s Minsk Group, France said it welcomes Azerbaijan’s release of 15 Armenian detainees and Armenia’s handover of maps of minefields in the Azerbaijani districts of Fizuli and Zangilan.

"Following that of 11 June, this exchange is a significant new gesture to reduce tensions on the ground and help restore trust between the parties. France calls for the pledges made by the parties on 9 November 2020 to be implemented, including the resumption of substantial dialogue and the release of all the Armenian prisoners still being held," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

"Together with its partners in the Minsk Group co-presidency, France calls for this positive momentum to be continued and remains committed alongside the parties to building a lasting peace in the Caucasus."

The United States too welcomed the move, saying that Washington also appreciates Russia’s efforts to support regional stability.

"The United States continues to call for the return of all detainees and the exchange of all data necessary to conduct effective demining of conflict regions. We stand ready to support cooperation and the resolution of outstanding issues in the region. We also continue to urge Armenia and Azerbaijan to reengage in substantive negotiations under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs to negotiate a comprehensive and sustainable political settlement to the conflict," the Department of State said in a statement of their own.

Azerbaijan is refusing to return all Armenian prisoners of war, in violation of the statement on the cessation of hostilities signed by the parties in November 2020. The Armenian side has information about some 200 Armenians still in Azerbaijan’s captivity, but Azeri President Ilham Aliyev claims that persons being kept in Baku are not PoWs, but “terrorists and saboteurs”. At least 19 of the hundreds of Armenian captives have been tortured and killed, according to their lawyers.