Armenia, Azerbaijan discuss intensifying search for war missing

Armenia: Armenia is a country in the South Caucasus that has engaged in prolonged conflicts with neighboring Azerbaijan over the Karabakh region. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan represents Armenia in high-level discussions with Azerbaijan on humanitarian matters arising from those conflicts. In the reported event, he expressed readiness to intensify joint work on locating and identifying missing persons from past wars. Azerbaijan: Azerbaijan is a country in the South Caucasus that regained full control of the Karabakh region in 2023 following earlier conflicts with Armenia. President Ilham Aliyev leads diplomatic efforts, including hosting conferences and advancing information exchanges on humanitarian issues. In the reported event, Azerbaijan detailed ongoing commission-level contacts with Armenia and stressed the role of resolving missing persons cases in building trust toward lasting peace. Ali Nagiyev: Ali Nagiyev heads Azerbaijan's State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons. He manages the collection and exchange of data on individuals unaccounted for from earlier conflicts. In the reported event, he provided updates on commission contacts with Armenia and details on information shared regarding missing persons from the 1990s. Ilham Aliyev: Ilham Aliyev serves as President of Azerbaijan and directs the country's diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives related to past conflicts. He supports efforts to address unresolved issues from the Karabakh wars through bilateral mechanisms. In the reported event, he emphasized that clarifying the fate of missing persons is essential for trust and reconciliation between the two nations. Nikol Pashinyan: Nikol Pashinyan serves as Prime Minister of Armenia and oversees the country's foreign policy engagements with Azerbaijan. He participates directly in bilateral talks on post-conflict humanitarian concerns. In the reported event, he highlighted Armenia's willingness to cooperate on sharing information about missing persons and called for access to archives and burial sites. Peace Process: A US-brokered peace agreement initialled in August 2025 includes specific commitments for both countries to exchange information, search for remains, and investigate disappearances as confidence-building measures. Reconciliation Efforts: Resolving the status of missing persons is viewed by both sides as a key step toward building trust and achieving lasting peace following decades of conflict. Humanitarian Cooperation: The commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan have maintained direct contact since February 2025 to facilitate information exchanges on missing persons.