Azerbaijan ready for cooperation with Armenia – State Security Service chief

The Azerbaijani side has also proposed providing the relevant DNA samples to identify remains discovered in the liberated territories that are believed to belong to Armenian servicemen.

TodayPress TV reports that Ali Naghiyev, Head of the State Security Service and Chairman of the State Commission on Prisoners of War, Hostages and Missing Persons, made the statement at the 4th International Conference on Missing Persons within the framework of the “Baku Dialogue.”

He said that examinations found no match between the remains discovered and the DNA profiles of 50 ethnic Armenians reported missing, which Armenia provided in January 2026.

“We are ready to cooperate to clarify the fate of missing persons from both sides. However, accurate and complete information is needed to achieve results. Armenia must provide all information concerning the fate of missing Azerbaijanis and the locations of mass and individual graves, and facilitate access to archives and the collection of witness testimonies. In addition to being a legal obligation and humanitarian responsibility, this would be a practical expression of commitment to peace. Information concerning the fate of individuals must not be subject to political conditions.”

Ali Naghiyev emphasized that since February 2025, the State Commission has established direct contacts with Armenia’s relevant commission and held meetings and exchanged information.

He said that, based on various sources and witness testimonies, Azerbaijan had provided the other side with a list of 834 Azerbaijani citizens who were taken prisoner or hostage during the First Karabakh War and secretly held from international organizations, including detailed information on 104 individuals.

“We have also provided information on 54 of our citizens officially registered by the International Committee of the Red Cross. The remains of 17 of them have been returned. The remains of 33 people reportedly killed in places of detention have not been returned, while the fate of four people remains unknown. These families are still waiting for answers.”