We will continue to raise the issues related to the return of all prisoners of war and detainees. The OSCE Secretary General responded to the letter of the President of the Republic Armen Sarkissian

The Secretary General of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Helga Maria Schmid responded to the letter of the President of the Republic of Armenia Armen Sarkissian on the immediate return of all Armenian prisoners of war and civilians held by Azerbaijan.

The OSCE Secretary General noted that she had carefully studied the issues mentioned by President Sarkissian and presented them to the relevant OSCE structures.

“I continue to follow the situation and I am in contact with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs and the Personal Representative of the Chairperson-in-Office on this and related matters. I know you also discussed these issues with the Chairperson-in-Office, Ann Linde, during her visit to Yerevan in March.

The Minsk Group Co-Chairs issued a statement on 13 April 2021 which also addresses the issues raised by your letter. The Co-Chairs stress that additional efforts are required to resolve remaining areas of concern and to create an atmosphere of mutual trust conducive to longlasting peace.

Among these areas, the Co-Chairs pointed to issues related to the return of all POWs and other detainees in accordance with the provisions of international humanitarian law. I know that they will continue to follow and raise this question, as I and other OSCE actors will also do. The OSCE Institutions and structures already co-operate closely with Armenia through programmatic work across all three OSCE dimensions.

I look forward to developing and further expanding this co-operation during my tenure as OSCE Secretary General,” says Helga Maria Schmid in her letter.