Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan didn’t have much new to report on the fate of scores of Armenian soldiers captured the other day near the Artsakh villages of Khtsaberd and Hin Shen.

Before opening today’s government cabinet session, Avinyan could only say that work is underway to verify the number of the Armenian soldiers captured by Azerbaijani forces and to facilitate their return.

"In this regard, negotiations are underway with the Azerbaijani side, with the involvement of the Red Cross and the Russian side," Avinyan said, adding that Russian peacekeepers were dispatched to the scene.

Allaying fears about the security of Armenia’s new border with Azerbaijan, especially in the southern Syunik Province, Avinyan said that border troops have been dispatched to the area and that the situation is under the control of Armenian forces. 

Avinyan said that Armenia’s Defense Minister has also left for Syunik.