Yerevan /Mediamax/. Moscow considers that it is necessary to complete the exchange of detained persons with “all for all” principle and “finally remove this irritant in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.”

Official representative of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs Maria Zakharova said about it at a briefing welcoming the release of 8 Armenian prisoners of war on February 7.

“We consider it important to simultaneously make efforts to clarify the fate of the missing during the conflict. We will contribute to this both in our national capacity and through the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group. For our part, we have done, are doing, and will continue to do everything in our power. For us, this topic is a priority,” Zakharova said.

She also noted that “the issue of the preservation of cultural and historical heritage is regularly discussed in our contacts with official Baku and Yerevan.”

“We speak in favor of organizing a UNESCO mission to the region as soon as possible. We are also working through the co-chairs of the OSCE Minsk Group,” Maria Zakharova said.

She noted that the joint statement issued on December 7, 2021 by the Foreign Ministers of Russia, the United States and France calls on Armenia and Azerbaijan to continue to engage under the auspices of the OSCE Minsk Group co-chairs to achieve real progress on humanitarian issues, including the protection of historical and cultural sites.