The director of Armenia’s National Security Service (NSS) led a delegation to Baku from September 19 to 21 to attend the 3rd International Security Forum. Political analyst Suren Surenyants expressed disappointment that the visit did not lead to the release of Armenian prisoners held in Azerbaijan. According to Surenyants, the visit ultimately served Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev by bolstering his international image, while leaving Armenia without tangible gains. “This is not diplomacy but dangerous defeatism,” Surenyants wrote on Facebook on Monday. He argued that such official visits can only be justified if they help release Armenian prisoners. Otherwise, he warned they risk strengthening Azerbaijan’s diplomatic standing at Armenia’s expense. “The primary duty of Armenia’s leadership is to secure the release of Armenian prisoners, rather than enhance Aliyev’s international image,” Surenyants added.