YEREVAN. June 15 (Interfax) - Armenia has so far transferred to Azerbaijan only a part of the maps of minefields in Karabakh, acting Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said.
"The day before, I announced that the maps of minefields were handed over to Azerbaijan. A substantial, but small part of the maps of minefields were transferred," Pashinyan said during his campaigning trip to Armenia's Kotai region on Sunday.
"The transfer of maps has been carried out since December 2020, and then it was about minefields that remained in the rear of Azerbaijan following the results of the last war," he said.
As reported, Azerbaijan handed over 15 prisoners to the Armenian side on Saturday.
"According to the agreement reached, on June 12, 2021, in exchange for Armenia's provision of maps indicating where anti-tank and anti-personnel mines are planted in the Aghdam region on the Azerbaijani-Georgian border with the participation of Georgian representatives 15 detained Armenians were handed over to the Armenian side," the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry said.
Pashinyan confirmed information about the return of 15 Armenian prisoners from Azerbaijan.
"I have good news. Fifteen people, our prisoners, are returning to Armenia. They are now on their way," Pashinyan said during a pre-election rally in Armenia's Gegharkunik region.
He said that he had passed minefield maps to Azerbaijan through Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov. "We handed over a certain number of minefield maps to Azerbaijan. However, the Azerbaijani leadership stopped the process of returning our prisoners, having addressed international bodies with a statement that we refuse to hand the maps over [to them]. But we have never refused to provide minefield maps. During Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov's visit to Armenia, I handed over minefield maps to Azerbaijan through him," Pashinyan said.
Early parliamentary elections in Armenia are scheduled for June 20.