Issues related to missing persons must be resolved through  cooperation - Pashinyan

ArmInfo. Both Armenia and Azerbaijan face issues related to missing persons, and these matters must be resolved through mutual cooperation, as stated by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan  during a press-briefing on June 11. He also noted that such cooperation not only institutionalizes peace  but also closes a painful chapter in the conflict.

"This is a very important stage. Therefore, we are also interested," he said, noting that neither the missing nor those compatriots in captivity have been  forgotten. According to Pashinyan, it is necessary to move towards  resolving all of these issues through comprehensive joint efforts.  "And the return [of captives] must take place. Not to mention  bilateral trade, which is developing and also serves as a crucial  pillar of peace," the Prime Minister stated.

It should be noted that the exact number of Armenian prisoners of war  and hostages held in Azerbaijani prisons remains unknown. According  to the latest data from the International Committee of the Red Cross  (ICRC), as of August 2024, approximately 1,000 people are considered  missing on the Armenian side, with approximately 300 of these  individuals reported missing following the latest escalation in the  Nagorno- Karabakh conflict zone between autumn 2020 and autumn 2023.  All data was collected by the ICRC based on requests from relatives  of the missing. The ICRC also reported that among these 300  individuals, there are several dozen requests concerning cases where  the family disagreed with the DNA data provided by the state.