Veronika Zonabend, the wife of former Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh) state minister and well-known businessman and philanthropist Ruben Vardanyan, who is being held illegally in Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, on Monday released a statement reacting to Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's recent words.

The statement reads as follows:

“On August 8, in his Address, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia stated that ‘we are all very concerned and worried about the imprisonment of our compatriots in Azerbaijan.’ I fully share this assessment and was glad to read these words.

I also welcome media reports that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia has been designated as the authority responsible for arranging a meeting with me.

At the same time, I consider it necessary to clarify that, as of today, no contact has been established with me, and I have not received the contact details of the designated official.

I look forward to receiving those contact details and to a substantive meeting to discuss the next steps in organizing the international women’s humanitarian delegation to Baku, as well as other matters concerning Armenian citizens detained in Azerbaijan.”