The release of all Armenian detainees is essential for building confidence and trust and would be an important political gesture, Helena Dalli, EU Commissioner for Equality, said at the European Parliament debate on Armenian prisoners of war.
“We welcomed the release of five Armenian detainees on the 29th of January and of three on the 4th of May. We insist that all remaining detainees be released without further delay,” said Helena Dalli, who spoke on behalf of High Representative/Vice-President Josep Borrell.
“The European Union expects both parties to cooperate not only on the return of detainees, but also on other important humanitarian issues. The recovery and repatriation of remains of the missing should continue. Urgent and decisive steps are needed on the exchange of information necessary for the conduct of humanitarian demining, including the sharing of any available maps of minefields to enable return to areas devastated by conflict. To defuse tensions and allow societies to progress towards normalisation, it is also crucially important to refrain from inflammatory public rhetoric,” she added.