YEREVAN (PanARMENIAN.Net) — The return of Armenian captives from Azerbaijan is among Russia’s priorities, Moscow’s Ambassador to Yerevan Sergei Kopyrkin told reporters on Tuesday, June 22.
“We welcomed the return of 15 captives. Right from the beginning, Russia has been doing everything possible to make this happen,” Kopyrkin said.
The ambassador said there is progress on the matter, citing “the huge contribution” of the commander of the peacekeeping contingent in Karabakh, Lieutenant General Rustam Muradov, as well as of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Kopyrkin also weighed in on the expected deployment of Russian border guards in the province of Gegharkunik, on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, urging reporters to “wait for the next steps.”
His comments came after Gegharkunik governor Gnel Sanosyan said Russian border guards will be deployed in the area “in the coming days,” to pave the way for the withdrawal of the militaries of both countries from the immediate vicinity of the border․
