Lead Spokesperson for the External Affairs of the European Union Peter Stano tweeted that the European Union welcomes the release of 5 Armenian servicemen captured by Azerbaijan in November and calls for the immediate release of the 57 remaining in custody.

Stano added that this would contribute to building confidence between both countries which is important for lasting peace in the region.

Yesterday, through the mediation of Russian peacekeepers, Azerbaijan transferred 5 prisoners of war to Armenia, and Yerevan transferred one to Azerbaijan. To date, the specific number of Armenian prisoners of war in Azerbaijan remains unknown. The Armenian authorities refuse to state a specific number and refer to this as a ‘state secret’ and add that this ‘may harm the process of their release’. Based on unofficial data, there are 100-235 Armenian prisoners of war.