Armenian PM says more territory claim would mean war with Azerbaijan

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said that if Armenia claims its territory covers 29,755 square kilometres, rather than the internationally recognised 29,743 square kilometres, this would amount to an indirect declaration of war on Azerbaijan.

Speaking at a briefing following a meeting of the Armenian government, Pashinyan recalled his previous statement that Armenia’s internationally recognised territory covers 29,743 square kilometres, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

According to him, this figure does not include three Azerbaijani enclaves, while Artsvashen (Bashkend, Ed.), an exclave belonging to Armenia, is included.

“If we do not take this into account, it means that we are saying that Armenia’s internationally recognised territory is not 29,743 square kilometres but, for example, 29,755 square kilometres. This means an indirect declaration of war on Azerbaijan,” the PM noted.

Pashinyan stressed that he was raising the issue not to escalate tensions but to neutralise potential risks.

“I see that there are internal and external forces thinking about how to destroy the peace that has been established. I see several points through which attempts are being made to destroy peace and provoke escalation. I am taking the heat out of this issue so that it cannot be used to build an escalation around it,” he added.

Pashinyan assured that Armenia and Azerbaijan are not currently holding discussions specifically on the issue of enclaves and exclaves. However, he said there is a broader issue concerning border delimitation.

The head of the government emphasised that there is a fundamental basis for resolving these issues — the regulations governing the joint activities of the Armenian and Azerbaijani commissions on the delimitation of the state border. The document has been ratified by both countries and provides for reaching mutually acceptable compromises.

In his words, once the process of delimiting the Armenian-Azerbaijani border continues directly on the ground, the issue of enclaves and exclaves will become an “ordinary working issue.”

According to the prime minister, both Armenia and Azerbaijan face issues related to enclaves and delimitation that could create problems with access to roads.

“We constantly look at this from our own perspective, and it seems to us that they do not have the same problems. They have similar problems as well. In general, if we talk about the situation with settlements, including taking into account the decisions we have made in recent years and the infrastructure programs that have been implemented, our situation is much better than Azerbaijan’s,” he stated.

Pashinyan stressed that his task is to “take the heat out” of the issue for both the societies and governments of the two countries.

“When we continue carrying out the delimitation directly on the ground, we will calmly discuss this with each other and with the population. Previously, there had been no negotiations on this issue; there had been an exchange of views, and delimitation scenarios were considered — how to move forward and what to do with the issue of enclaves. I am glad that we managed to reset the tension over this issue,” he explained.

Pashinyan further noted that Armenia and Azerbaijan will now address a problem that concerns both sides.

“This will become an ordinary working issue, which I am sure will be resolved in the best possible way, because there are problems both in Azerbaijan and here. These problems simply need to be calmly discussed with each other,” he emphasised.

By Bakhtiyar Abbasov