In the Granada statement, there was a reference to the subject of captives; there was a call there to all parties to release all captives. We have always expressed our willingness to go to such solutions. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this in an interview to Public Television.

"When we base the delimitation [of the Armenia-Azerbaijan border] on specific maps, border violations are recorded; this means that as a result of delimitation, border violations must be eliminated. But the problem here is that there is no signature of Azerbaijan under this document. On the other hand, at least in the western domain, an official understanding has been formed that this should be the basis for future settlement," he said.

Referring to the remark that Azerbaijan president Aliyev demanded the "liberation" of eight villages in a telephone conversation with European Council President Charles Michel, and to the question as what extent this demand fits into the negotiation logic, Pashinyan said: "Before answering the question directly, I would like to picture the context. And why didn't Azerbaijan come [to Granada] and sign [the aforesaid statement]? What are the versions? Azerbaijan's public explanation was that they have a problem with France's position; they do not consider it an impartial observer. The second interpretation, the impartiality of which will be an opportunity to be verified in the near future, is that, nevertheless, Azerbaijan is trying to prevent peace from happening. And for that, there is an interpretation that there are several topics that they can use for future escalations. This is the reason why we should not show an emotional approach to any issue, and we should inventorize all the issues, the matters being raised by Azerbaijan, and adopt clear positions that are understandable to the world, which derive from the interests of Armenia's security.

"Azerbaijan raises the issue of eight villages, and we, in turn, raise the issue of eight villages because in the same Tavush Province [of Armenia], for example, we have territories occupied by Azerbaijan (…) and in other areas as well. We proposed a solution to that issue back in 2021, and we said: ‘let's decide which the delimitation map is and simultaneously withdraw the troops from that border line.’

"During the negotiations, we say: Very good if one of the parties has to return some territory to the other. It's about both sides. Suppose the troops are standing on this line. In order to solve the issue, they should retreat from this line. Now they should retreat, what line should they stand on? It will be determined according to the map; that is, there is a border. And if there is a border at that point, then it means there is a border all along. Therefore, we must adjust according to the borders defined by the Almaty declaration."

When asked why Armenia does not rely on the OSCE document in 2017, where there is a principle that delimitation of borders cannot contribute to the generation of new escalations, new risks of conflict, the Armenian PM said: "That document is on the table of our officials dealing with border demarcation issues after the 2020 ceasefire is approved. But the problem is that the process has not yet started, and we are in the phase of adjusting the principles. The concept of territory can also be one of those principles. The Almaty declaration is a principle. That principle was agreed by me and the president of Azerbaijan on May 14, 2023 in Brussels in the presence of Charles Michel. But the problem is that until now the president of Azerbaijan has not made a public statement about recognizing the 29,800-square-kilometer territorial integrity of Armenia."