On April 19, the Office of the Vice Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan issued a statement announcing that Armenia and Azerbaijan had agreed to initiate delimitation and demarcation work in the “4 villages” of Tavush, conceding to unilateral terms by transferring these villages to Azerbaijan without receiving anything in return.
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… pic.twitter.com/5100SJcwW3
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) April 19, 2024
This development displeased the residents, who blocked a section of the Yerevan-Tbilisi interstate highway at Kirants-Voskepar late in the evening of April 19.
In Tavush, residents of Baghanis have blocked the road and are protesting against the agreement to hand over the territories to Azerbaijan, citing concerns about territorial sovereignty and security. pic.twitter.com/r4dEAnwU6K
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) April 19, 2024
Early the next morning, residents were joined by Garnik Danielyan, a deputy from the opposition faction “Armenia” in the RA National Assembly, and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the head of the Tavush Diocese of the Armenian Apostolic Church.
https://twitter.com/301arm/status/1781417500548251945
A member of the Armenian parliament from the Hayastan opposition faction, Garnik Danelyan, reports that residents of Baganis and Kirants have blocked the Yerevan-Tbilisi interstate road in two locations.
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) April 19, 2024
Although residents managed to halt the demining of the Kirants and Voskepar territories on April 21, the demining process resumed the following day, April 22, due to the “efforts” of the military police, regular police, and SNB special forces, despite protests.
BREAKING: Tensions rise in Voskepar, Tavush as villagers are not allowing NSS to demine the village in preparation for the surrender of Armenian villages and ceding of land.
As a reminder, NSS attempted to carry out demining work yesterday in both Kirants and Voskepar, but were… pic.twitter.com/hIbfIOzqH8
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) April 22, 2024
On the evening of April 22, village elders from the border villages of the Tavush region held meetings with Vice Prime Minister Mger Grigoryan and Nikol Pashinyan. However, no agreements were reached as the village elders refused to participate in the delimitation and demarcation commission, citing the process as unlawful.
Village mayors from Tavush villages affected by the surrender of Armenian lands are currently on their way to Yerevan to meet with Pashinyan’s Deputy PM, Mher Grigoryan.
The village mayors are from Baghanis, Voskepar, Kirants and Berkaber.
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) April 22, 2024
Starting from the early hours of April 23, with the involvement of significant forces from the SNB, police, and Ministry of Defense, demining of the territory around the Baganis-Voskepar highway began within the framework of the “agreements” reached.
Armenia's police stated that the Baghanis-Voskepar highway was closed for mine clearance operations in the surrounding area and to prevent citizens from accessing nearby mined areas. pic.twitter.com/7Z2PEi7Cu4
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) April 23, 2024
Meanwhile, the government of Armenia announced that expert groups would officially begin the process of clarifying coordinates along the Armenia-Azerbaijan border based on geodetic measurements.
Expert groups officially begin the process of clarifying coordinates based on geodetic measurements along the border of Armenia and Azerbaijan.
In an announcement by the government of Armenia, the process of clarifying coordinates began today on April 23, as a part of the… pic.twitter.com/3AVuqI9iMb
— 301🇦🇲 (@301arm) April 23, 2024
Later, the leadership of the Noyemberyan community, including the administrative leaders of the border villages, issued a statement expressing their refusal to support or participate in the delimitation process in any way.
