The daily newspaper “Zhoghovurd” writes: “The regional visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, during which she visited Azerbaijan on July 1 of this year and Armenia the following day, was officially presented as an important stage aimed at cooperation, economic ties, regional communications, and the deepening of Armenia-EU relations.

However, in the case of such high-level meetings, sensitive issues that are not reflected in official statements are usually also on the agenda. For this reason, the daily newspaper “Zhoghovurd” sent an inquiry to Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to find out whether, during the meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, the issue of returning Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan was discussed, the results of her discussions with the Azerbaijani leadership in Baku, as well as the possible practical steps of the European Union toward the release of the prisoners.

During your meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, was the issue of the return of Armenian prisoners and other unlawfully detained persons held in Azerbaijan discussed? If yes, what information did the President of the European Commission convey to you regarding her discussions with the Azerbaijani leadership in Baku? What position or response did she receive from the Azerbaijani side? Was there any reference to public and non-public information regarding the inhuman treatment of Armenian prisoners, torture, violations of their rights, and possible violations of international humanitarian law? Were possible practical steps by the European Union or other international bodies discussed, aimed at the immediate release of Armenian prisoners, the protection of their rights, and an international legal assessment of possible crimes committed against them in Azerbaijan? Can you state what practical results or arrangements currently exist with international partners regarding the return of Armenian prisoners, and what role the European Union has assumed or is preparing to assume in this process?

However, the response received from the Office of the Government of the Republic of Armenia effectively sidestepped the substance of the questions.

The response states:

“In response to your inquiry, we inform you that the necessary information subject to publication regarding the visit of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to Armenia has been provided.

At the same time, we inform you that the Prime Minister has repeatedly stated that the issue of prisoners is at the center of his daily attention, and the necessary work is being carried out in that direction.”

Thus, the government did not answer whether the issue of prisoners was discussed during the meeting with Ursula von der Leyen, what the President of the European Commission conveyed after her negotiations in Baku, or what kind of arrangements were reached in that direction.

What was said in the official statements?

According to the statement disseminated by the Prime Minister’s Office on those days, during the one-on-one meeting and the expanded-format negotiations between Nikol Pashinyan and Ursula von der Leyen, the deepening of Armenia-European Union partnership, democratic reforms, economic cooperation, the Global Gateway initiative, investment programs, as well as the peace agenda and regional stability were discussed. At the conclusion of the meeting, the sides also spoke about EU financial support, trade cooperation, and the expansion of infrastructure projects.

For her part, Ursula von der Leyen declared in Yerevan:

“Armenia continues on the path of democratic reforms and is drawing closer to Europe. I am here with a simple message: Armenia can count on us.”

She also emphasized that the European Union will continue to support Armenia’s democratic development, the resilience of its economy, and the peace process.

And about the prisoners — silence.

It is noteworthy that neither in the statements of the Armenian government, nor of the European Commission, nor in the joint statements in Baku by Ursula von der Leyen and Ilham Aliyev, was any public statement made regarding Armenian prisoners, the return of unlawfully held persons, or the protection of their rights. The official statements published in the Azerbaijani capital were focused on energy cooperation, transport and digital links, as well as regional communications.

As a result, to none of the five questions raised by “Zhoghovurd” did the government effectively give a direct answer, limiting itself to the already published information and the statement that the issue is at the center of the Prime Minister’s daily attention. And we know what it means to be at the center of the Prime Minister’s daily attention: for example, the issue of stripping Gagik Tsarukyan of his assets is, yes, at the center of the Prime Minister’s daily attention, and the process is moving forward at full scale, while everyone has long forgotten about the issue of the prisoners.”

Details are available in today’s issue of the daily newspaper “Zhoghovurd”.