Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian on Thursday, January 21 discussed humanitarian issues in Nagorno-Karabakh with his French counterpart Jean-Yves Le Drian over the phone, the press service of the Foreign Ministry reports.

In particular, the Ministers weighed in on the prospects for the return of prisoners of war and civilians being kept hostage in Azerbaijan. The two also discussed the ways to re-launch the peace process within the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairmanship.

The Minsk Group mediates the Karabakh peace process.

"Among the key topics between Ministers Aivazian and Le Drian was the protection of historical, cultural and religious monuments that have remained in territories now under Azerbaijan's control and the role of international agencies in that process," a press release from the Foreign Ministry reads.