Armenian National Security Service Director Armen Abazyan assured reporters that efforts are ongoing to secure the return of Armenian captives held in Baku.

“I cannot say whether we will have results tomorrow or in a month, but rest assured, work is underway,” he said, as reported by RFE/RL.

He evaluated positively the recent meeting between representatives of Armenian and Azerbaijani commissions dealing with missing persons.

“They discussed the fate of the missing, potential search operations, and other related issues. A preliminary agreement was reached to ensure continuity of efforts. I consider the meeting a positive development,” Abazyan told journalists.

He also stated that preliminary agreements have been made between relevant Armenian and Azerbaijani structures to conduct joint search operations aimed at clarifying the fate of those who went missing during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict.

Since 2020, Armenia has handed over the bodies of 51 Azerbaijani soldiers who died in the 44-day war, as well as the remains of 140 Azerbaijanis killed in the 1990s. Armenia continues to raise the issue of around 1,200 missing persons. Official data shows 993 Armenians have been missing since the early 1990s, and approximately 200 Armenian soldiers went missing after the 44-day war.