Armenia bloc: borders` partial delimitation and demarcation, starting  from Tavush, will significantly weaken Armenia`s defense capability  in this area

ArmInfo. The process of partial delimitation and demarcation of borders, starting from the Tavush region, will lead to the destruction of the most durable and equipped part of the front line of the Armenian Armed Forces, will significantly weaken the defense capability in this area, and will create direct threats to the border population.

This is stated in the official statement of the Armenia bloc, published in connection with 

the statement of Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan in the 

Tavush region about the beginning of the demarcation and delimitation 

process.

The opposition is confident that Pashinyan's government is 

unilaterally fulfilling Azerbaijan's preconditions during the current 

negotiation process.

The statement of the Armenia bloc states that without final agreement 

and compliance with the principle of reciprocity, partial demarcation 

and delimitation are entirely in the interests of Azerbaijan.  

"Fulfilling Azerbaijan's demands through constant intimidation of its 

own people with war will not only allow Azerbaijan to put forward new 

demands, but will also create fertile ground for new aggressive 

actions by them. Rejection of best practices of demarcation and 

delimitation  in favor of Azerbaijan, ignoring international 

experience are evidence of abandonment of vital national interests. 

The actual loss of control over strategic roads will increase threats 

to the security of Armenia," the source noted. The opposition also 

stated that the actions of the authorities aimed at fully or 

partially limiting the sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia in 

favor of another state, transferring territories, are the most 

serious crimes against the state.

During a visit to the Tavush region, Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol 

Pashchinyan said that the real process of delimitation and 

demarcation can begin from Tavush, namely from Baghanis to Berkaber.  

"What features are there? You know that Azerbaijan raises the issue 

of 4 villages, for now it is only about 4 non-enclave villages. You 

know that we raise the issue of 31 villages. We raise this issue, 

they raise that issue.  And when we want to move forward in these 

discussions, even if we proceed from the logic that we have 31 

settlements in a problematic situation, and they have fewer ones, 

Azerbaijan uses the argument that the real territory of none of the 

settlements of the Republic of Armenia is under the control of 

Azerbaijan , that is, no residential part of the village is under the 

control of Azerbaijan. What they're saying? They say: let's mutually 

withdraw from the territories of the settlements themselves, then we 

will discuss the vital territories of villages and settlements.

We, of course, respond and say that a village is not only a rural 

administration, a village is also its vital territories, that is, 

during these discussions we present all the arguments, and these 

arguments are fair. Our policy is that we must not allow war; we must 

not allow war to start. And this is also the reason why we decided to 

clarify the border of the Republic of Armenia in these areas and we 

are doing this not only for the sake of the Republic of Armenia, but 

also specifically for the sake of the village of Voskepar, the 

village of Kirants, to ensure the security of these villages," the 

Prime Minister said at a meeting with residents.

Earlier, Baku announced that it demands the immediate "return of 4 

villages" located on the border of the Tavush region of Armenia and 

the Gazakh region of Azerbaijan. The statement followed a meeting of 

the border delimitation commissions, headed by the vice-premiers of 

the two countries, Mher Grigoryan and Shahin Mustafayev. "As for the 

four non-exclave Azerbaijani villages (Baghanis Ayrim, Ashagi 

Eskipara, Kheyrimli and Gyzylgajili) 'occupied' by Armenia, their 

belonging to Azerbaijan is indisputable, and they are subject to 

immediate return," they stated.

Baku is also confident that within the framework of the delimitation 

process, "the issue of 'liberation' of four exclave villages (Yukhary 

Askipara, Sofulu, Barkhudarlu in the Armenian Tavush, as well as 

Kyarki (Armenian - Tigranashen) in the Ararat region, on the border 

with Nakhijevan) will be resolved." At the same time, Baku denied the 

statements of the Armenian authorities that Azerbaijan occupied the 

territory of 31 Armenian settlements in five regions with a total 

area of about 200 square kilometers, calling it "an unfounded 

statement." Some of them came under the control of Azerbaijan back in 

the 1990s during the first Karabakh war, others as a result of 

Azerbaijani aggression in 2021-2022.