In his remarks regarding the results of Sunday’s negotiations with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan in Brussels, Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, stated that an understanding was reached that several more detainees will be released in the coming weeks.

Michel said that during the talks, he emphasized the need to maintain mutual understanding on the issue that the soldiers who simply went astray and went over to the other side will be released under an expedited procedure as before. He added that they discussed the importance of ascertaining the fate of missing persons and intensification of demining work.

According to him, the parties exchanged views also on the rights and security of Armenians living in Nagorno-Karabakh.

Michel said he called on Azerbaijan, in close cooperation with the international community, to participate in the development of a positive agenda in order to guarantee the rights and security of those people, and raised the matter of the need for a transparent and constructive dialogue between Baku and that population.

The European Council president said he believes it is important to refrain from hostile rhetoric, act in good faith, and show leadership to reach mutually acceptable decisions.

The European Council has no hidden agenda, Michel said, adding that their only goal is to help Armenia and Azerbaijan achieve a comprehensive and just peace. He said they are ready to contribute to their joint efforts, they have agreed to hold meetings in Brussels as often as necessary, the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan will meet again in July in Brussels.

Michel added that as it was already publicly announced, they will meet also with French President Macron and German Chancellor Scholz in the framework of the second summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in Chisinau in the near future, and, also, he planned to invite the Armenian and Azerbaijani leaders to another similar meeting at the third EPC summit in Granada in October.