WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. President Donald Trump has pledged to support the release of 23 Armenian prisoners of war held in Azerbaijani prisons. According to Armenpress, Trump made this statement during a meeting at the White House with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.
“Are you talking about the 23 Christians? I’m going to ask him [apparently referring to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev] to do that. I think they will do it for me. This is important, isn’t it?” Trump said.
Pashinyan had previously stated during a press conference in Washington that he raises the issue of Armenian POWs in Azerbaijan at all meetings at the highest level. Azerbaijan officially acknowledges holding around 23 Armenian prisoners.
The Armenian prime minister’s press secretary, Nazeli Baghdasaryan, wrote on Facebook that the POW issue was raised with Trump at Pashinyan’s initiative, refuting circulating claims that Pashinyan opposed the return of the Armenian captives.
“Absurd speculations are circulating online that Prime Minister Pashinyan allegedly opposed the return of our compatriots, or some of them, from Azerbaijani captivity while in Washington. The prime minister has repeatedly stated that Armenian representatives raise this issue in various formats during their meetings and seek solutions. In the meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, the issue was raised in its entirety, not partially,” Baghdasaryan wrote.
