Secretary of the Armenian Security Council Armen Grigoryan held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Nikolay Patrushev on the sidelines of the joint sitting of the CSTO Council of Foreign Ministers, the Council of Defense Ministers and the Committee of Secretaries of Security Councils in Dushanbe, Tajikistan.
The secretaries discussed the situation in the South Caucasus. Armen Grigoryan briefed his Russian counterpart on the situation created by Azerbaijan’s intrusion into Syunik and Gegharkunik regions of Armenia since May, emphasizing that any encroachment on Armenian territory is unacceptable and noting that Armenia is ready to start the process of delimitation and demarcation of the border with Azerbaijan as soon as possible.
Speaking about the possibility of lasting peace in the region, Armen Grigoryan stressed that the Government of the Republic of Armenia has declared an “era of peace” that will bring lasting peace and development to the South Caucasus region, attaching importance to the unblocking of all infrastructure.
Nikolai Patrushev also stressed the need to continue the work on the unblocking process, emphasizing that the latter will enable lasting peace in the region.
One of the key issues of the conversation was the issue of Armenian prisoners of war and other detainees held in Azerbaijan. Armen Grigoryan once again stressed that according to the November 9, 2020 statement, all prisoners of war, hostages and other detainees should be returned to the homeland, while the Azerbaijani side still fails to meet its obligation in full. He voiced hope that due to the efforts of the Russian side it will be possible for all Armenian prisoners of war to return to their homeland as soon as possible.
Nikolay Patrushev, in turn, attached importance to the intensification of the process within the framework of the Minsk Group co-chairmanship.
