Delimitation an Important Milestone for Reinforcement of Sovereignty and Independence – PM Pashinyan

YEREVAN (Armradio) — Delimitation of the border in the section of four villages is a great success, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at the government sitting today.

First, he said, it is an important milestone for further development and reinforcement of our sovereignty and independence.

“Second, for the first time since the independence our republic has an officially delimited border, which will considerably increase the level of security not only in the section of the mentioned villages, but also all along the Armenian-Azerbaijani border,” PM Pashinyan said.

He reminded that the delimitation was carried out on the basis of 1976 maps, the latest Soviet maps of de jure importance.

“Our principled stance in the process was to reproduce the borders de jure existing at the time of USSR collapse rather than create new ones. For this purpose we were referring to the Alma-Ata Declaration,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the principle will work for the delimitation of other sections of Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

“I am convinced that we have made a decision which is an important milestone on the path of implementation of our strategic goal announced back in 2019. That strategic goal is to create conditions for the endurance of the sovereign and independent Republic of Armenia. One of the conditions has been ensured,” PM Pashinyan state.

On May 15, 2024, the 9th meeting 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 was held on the border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, under the chairmanship of Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan and Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Shahin Mustafayev.

During the meeting, the Commissions, in accordance with the Protocol of the  the 8th meeting dated April 19, 2024, discussed the accomplished work and, taking into account the adjustment of coordinates based on the geodetic measurements on the ground, in accordance with the 1976 topographic map of the General Staff of the USSR Armed Forces, that passed duty procedure in 1979, agreed on the  Protocol-description of the borderline sections 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 bring them into compliance with the legally justified interrepublican border that existed within the Soviet Union at the moment of its dissolution.

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.