On the sidelines of the meeting of the CIS Council of Foreign Ministers in Moscow, Armenian Foreign Minister Ara Aivazian held a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov on Thursday, the Armenian Foreign Ministry said in a press release. 

During the private talks, the FMs discussed a wide range of issues related to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, including the implementation of the 9 November 2020 and 11 January 2021 trilateral statements and latest developments. In this context, Aivazian stressed the need for the immediate repatriation of Armenian prisoners of war (POWs) and hostages being held in Azerbaijan in gross violation of their obligations under the tripartite statement.

Ara Aivazian expressed deep concerns over the deliberate targeting of Armenian cultural and religious monuments in the areas that fell under the control of Azerbaijan, highlighting the urgency of taking measures to protect the heritage.

The top diplomats thoroughly addressed a wide range of issues on the agenda of the Armenian-Russian allied cooperation and the forthcoming schedule of high-level contacts.

The foreign ministers of the two countries also exchanged views on multilateral cooperation.