Armenian deputy PM confirms no deadlock in delimitation talks with Azerbaijan

Armenian Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan stated that no specific date has been set for the continuation of the delimitation and demarcation process with Azerbaijan, and the site from where it will proceed has not been determined yet.

Speaking to journalists on December 9, Grigoryan emphasized that discussions are still ongoing regarding the starting point of the process, Caliber.Az reports citing Armenian media.

"I can't say from where the delimitation will start, as these issues are still under discussion. Preliminary discussions have taken place, and various directions have been considered, but I cannot provide further details at this moment. There is an agreement to limit public statements to officially released information," he explained.

Grigoryan also rejected the notion that the process had reached a deadlock. "I don't agree with such an assessment," he said firmly, though he was unable to provide a clear answer on whether a meeting of the delimitation and demarcation commission heads would take place before the end of the year. "As you know, such meetings are held by mutual agreement, and there is no agreement on the date of the meeting today," he added.

Regarding the issue of unblocking communications, Grigoryan confirmed that no agreements had been reached. "No date has been set for the start of these discussions either," he said. When asked about Russia’s role in mediating the unblocking of communications, the deputy PM clarified, "There is no agreement on the time, place, or format of discussing this issue."

Shortly after the 2020 war, Azerbaijani authorities expressed their readiness and determination to negotiate with Armenia to bring long-awaited peace to the region. In March 2022, Baku proposed five basic principles to Yerevan, including mutual recognition of territorial integrity and border delimitation.

Significant progress has been made in peace negotiations since December 2023, with both countries issuing a joint statement confirming their intention to normalise relations and reach a peace treaty based on sovereignty and territorial integrity. Direct talks between the sides led to an agreement on the delimitation and demarcation of 12.7 kilometers of their shared border, including the return of four Azerbaijani villages that had been occupied by Armenia since the 1990s.

However, despite high-level meetings and dialogues, finalization of the peace treaty remains stalled due to disagreements on key issues.

Baku and Yerevan started the process of delimitation of their border on April 23, 2024 with the installation of the first border markers based on geodetic measurements. As part of the delimitation and demarcation process, Armenia agreed to vacate four Azerbaijani border villages it has occupied since the early 1990s, when the two countries fought a bloody war over the Karabakh (Garabagh) region of Azerbaijan. 

By Vafa Guliyeva