From exclusive interview with the EU Special Representative for the South Caucasus and the crisis in Georgia, Toivo Klaar, ahead of the Baku visit.

-Which steps do you think as urgent to release Azerbaijani captives Dilgam Asgarov and Shahbaz Guliyev?

- We, of course, have followed this case since their capture in June 2014. The EU, together with the Minsk Group Co-Chairs, fully supports the ICRC efforts. In my view, this issue should also be looked at in a broader context; it would be very helpful and contribute to building trust if the parties could address humanitarian issues and agree for instance on the release of several detainees. It would show to the societies and all those affected that there is progress and willingness to engage without the sides having to compromise on core positions regarding the conflict. In the Georgia context, there have been several releases of detainees over the past two years, and this has not been negative for any side, quite the contrary, it can provide the basis for further trust-building. Perhaps this could also be the case in the Nagorno-Karabakh context.

Aliqismet BADALOV,
“Khalq qazeti”