Afeyan: "Any agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan must include the release of prisoners"

Any agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan must include the release of prisoners. This was stated by Noubar Afeyan, co-founder of Moderna, Ph.D., founder and CEO of Flagship Pioneering, in an interview with CNN.

Referring to the detention of former Artsakh State Minister Ruben Vardanyan in Azerbaijan, Afeyan noted that a shameful trial is taking place against Armenian prisoners held in Baku. He recalled the ethnic cleansing carried out by Azerbaijan in Artsakh and the capture of a number of Artsakh figures, including Ruben Vardanyan.

Regarding the conclusion of negotiations on the draft peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan and the possible signing of the treaty, Afeyan recalled that the Trump administration has sent very clear, direct messages on this issue, including on the release of Armenian prisoners held in Baku.

“I would like to see a real signed peace treaty. But the question arises: will the agreement be signed at all, because it is extremely clear that Azerbaijan is using this war, this conflict, for its own internal purposes," Afeyan said, adding that "Any agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan must include the release of prisoners."