Armenian delegate says captives and missing persons raised in Peace Bridge talks with Azerbaijan

The Armenian civil society delegation, which held its latest round of the “Peace Bridge” initiative meetings in Azerbaijan, said on Monday that it has repeatedly raised the issue of the remaining Armenian captives and other detainees held in Azerbaijan. During a press briefing, Naira Sultanyan, Director of the Democracy Development Foundation, noted that during the initiative’s meetings, members of the Armenian delegation consistently included this issue on the discussion agenda.

“We have spoken about the captives and detainees more than once. Many members of the delegation have included this issue in their remarks,” said Sultanyan.

According to her, the Armenian side emphasized that the issue of captives does not fit within the current logic of the peace process, and that their release would be an important precondition for progress. “We have stressed that the peace process has moved forward, and these issues must be resolved in order to better ensure the continuation of progress,” she said.

Sultanyan said that the issue of missing persons was also raised during the discussions, emphasizing that the work of the relevant commission is not proceeding at the desired pace.

At the same time, she noted that the Azerbaijani side also raised issues of concern to them, but stressed that the primary goal of the initiative is to create an environment of mutual listening and understanding. “When you hear the other side’s perceptions, it becomes easier to understand the issue and model realistic solutions,” said Sultanyan.

In her assessment, strengthening trust could help ensure that such humanitarian issues are resolved more effectively in the future and do not become instruments of political pressure.