France welcomes Azerbaijan’s release of 15 Armenian detainees in exchange for maps to minefields

15 June 2021 12:11 (UTC+04:00)

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France, one of the Co-Chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group, welcomes Azerbaijan’s release of 15 Armenian detainees as well as Armenia’s transmittal of maps to minefields in the Azerbaijani district of Aghdam, Trend reports citing the French Europe and Foreign Affairs Ministry.

“This is an important gesture toward helping to deescalate tensions and rebuilding trust between the parties with the aim of achieving a lasting peace in the Caucasus,” the ministry said.

“France calls on the parties to continue consolidating the ceasefire; the full and effective implementation of the commitments included in the agreement reached by the parties on November 9, 2020,” the ministry said.

On June 12, Azerbaijan returned 15 detained Armenians back to Armenia with the participation of Georgian representatives on the Azerbaijani-Georgian border on June 12, 2021, in exchange for providing the Azerbaijani side with maps of 97,000 anti-tank and anti-personnel mines in Azerbaijan’s Aghdam district, liberated from Armenian occupation.