Armenia and Azerbaijan have reached a preliminary agreement on the delimitation of their state border. This agreement includes Pashinyan’s surrender of various villages in Tavush. The Information and Public Relations Department of Pashinyan’s Office provided responses to ‘Armenpress’ regarding the recent joint statement issued by the delimitation commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan. Here are the main points addressed in the responses:

1. The commissions have agreed in principle to delineate border sections between specific villages, based on historical Soviet-era borders. These delineations will be further clarified and marked on the ground, marking the first step towards establishing a delineated state border.
2. The process relies on recent topographical maps dating from the USSR period and upholds the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration as a fundamental principle for border delimitation.
3. The commissions clarified that the border delimitation process is separate from negotiations on the Peace Treaty, and any conflicting principles of higher legal significance would be aligned with the Peace Treaty.
4. Enclaves/exclaves, including the situation around the Artsvashen enclave, will be addressed in the delimitation process, ensuring legal substantiation before delimitation.
5. The transition from armed forces to border guard troops in certain areas will occur within a specified reasonable timeframe.
6. Road access for villages in Armenia will not be significantly impacted, with minor adjustments planned for Kirants and ongoing road maintenance for Voskepar.
7. Security will be ensured for villages such as Kirants and Voskepar through delimited state borders and the presence of Armenian border guards.
8.Azerbaijan gains control over two and a half villages, while Armenia reduces security risks and gains a structured platform for border delimitation, ensuring legal and social guarantees for its population.
Meanwhile, on April 19, 2024, the eighth meeting of the Commission on Delimitation and Border Security between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, along with the State Commission on the Delimitation of the State Border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, took place on the border between the two countries. Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, Mher Grigoryan, and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Shahin Mustafayev, chaired the meeting. Following the discussions, Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement outlining the agreements reached.
  • At the initial stage of the delimitation process, the Parties have preliminary agreed upon separate sections of the borderline immediately between the settlements of Baghanis (Republic of Armenia) – Baghanis Ayrum (Republic of Azerbaijan), Voskepar (Republic of Armenia) – Ashaghi Askipara (Republic of Azerbaijan), Kirants (Republic of Armenia) – Kheyrimli (Republic of Azerbaijan) and Berkaber (Republic of Armenia) – Ghizilhajili (Republic of Azerbaijan), in order to of bring them into compliance with the legally justified interrepublican border that existed within the Soviet Union at the moment of its dissolution.
  • Decided that the description of these sections of the borderline will be drawn up considering the adjustment of coordinates based on the geodetic measurements on the ground, documented in a relevant Protocol-description which must be agreed upon and signed by the Parties by 15 May 2024.
  • It was agreed that the Parties will apply to their Governments in order to take measures aimed at simultaneous and parallel deployment of their border services on the agreed sections of the borderline. They also agreed that until the delimitation process is fully completed, the sections of the borderline specified in the Protocol-description will be considered delimited.
  • Parallelly, the Parties agreed  to complete the alignment  of the draft Regulation on the Joint Activity of the Commission on Delimitation and Border Security of the State Border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan and the State Commission on the Delimitation of the State Border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia by 1 July 2024 and proceed with the completion of  the internal procedures and approval of the Regulations according to the procedure and the requirements of the legislation of the State parties.
  • The Parties have agreed that the process of  delimitation will be based on the  Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991. The Parties have also arranged to stipulate this fundamental principle in the draft Regulation (in the future, in case the Agreement on establishment of peace and interstate relations between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan provides otherwise, the relevant clause of the Regulation will be brought into compliance with the principles as prescribed by this Agreement).
  • Agreed that after the Regulation is approved by the Parties, they will arrange the order and continue the delimitation process of all the remaining sections of the border, including the issues of enclaves and exclaves.

A protocol was signed on the meeting results. The sides agreed to set the date and the place of the next meeting of the Commissions in working order.