Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has reminded Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev that dozens of Armenian prisoners of war are still being kept in Baku, more than one year after the end of hostilities in Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh).

Pashinyan made the comments in response to remarks from Aliyev who claimed at a trilateral meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, November 26 that the unblocking of transport communications remains the key problem to be addressed by the sides. Aliyev also claimed that no significant incidents happen in the zone of responsibility of the Russian peacekeeping contingent, although within the past two months the Azerbaijani military has killed two civilians and injured three others.

Pashinyan disagreed with Aliyev who said that virtually all points of the trilateral statement on November 9, 2020, except for the one on unblocking communications, had already been fulfilled. Addressing Putin, Pashinyan recalled that they had repeatedly discussed the problem of hostages, prisoners of war and other detainees. The Armenian PM described the matter as "a very important humanitarian issue".

Pashinyan also maintained that they have gathered in Sochi not only to voice problems, but also to discuss ways to solve them.

The PM also reminded about the invasion of Azerbaijani troops into the sovereign territory of Armenia in Syunik and Gegharkunik provinces since mid-May. He stressed that the situation in the region after the 44-day war is not as stable as the Armenian side would like it to be.

“After November 9 last year, several dozen people have been killed on both sides. Incidents happen in Karabakh as well. Since May 12, the situation on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border has been critical. Our assessment is that the Azerbaijani troops have invaded the sovereign territory of Armenia,” the PM said.