Twenty-six Italian deputies have issued a joint statement expressing their satisfaction with the release of 10 Armenian prisoners of war by Azerbaijan on Dec. 19, Armenpress reports, citing Nova agency.

“Based on the press release of Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia Vahan Hunanyan, Azerbaijan returned ten prisoners of war to Armenia. We are glad that significant signs of improvement have been recorded through the mediation of Europe. We hope this is just the beginning for the release of all illegally detained, and the peaceful negotiations to find a final resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict will continue,” the statement reads.

On Dec. 10, the Italian MPs addressed Prime Minister Mario Draghi with the request to make the release of soldiers and peaceful civilians captured during the Nagorno-Karabakh war a precondition for development of relations between the European Union and Azerbaijan within the scope of the Eastern Partnership.