Armenian Ambassador to the U.S. Lilit Makunts held a virtual meeting with Congressman Adam Schiff (D–CA) on Wednesday, September 29, with the two stressing the need for the unconditional repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war and civilian captives being held in Azerbaijan.

Makunts expressed her gratitude for the Congressman’s continuous support and commitment to issues related to Armenia and the Armenian people. She also thanked him for the recent amendment to be included in the National Defense Authorization Act Bill 2022․

The Ambassador unveiled security issues created in the aftermath of the 44-day war and in that context emphasized the establishment of lasting and sustainable peace in the region through the comprehensive settlement of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairmanship.

In that regard Congressman Schiff expressed his determination and readiness to continue his efforts on overcoming the security and humanitarian challenges Armenia is facing.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, Russian and Azerbaijani Presidents Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev on November 9 signed a statement to end the war in Karabakh after almost 45 days. Under the deal, the Armenian side returned all the seven regions surrounding Nagorno-Karabakh, having lost a part of Karabakh itself in hostilities.