Armenian premier rules out unilateral land swap with Azerbaijan, calls for delimitation process

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has confirmed that no decisions have been made regarding the enclaves between Armenia and Azerbaijan, emphasizing that any resolution must respect Armenia’s sovereignty and the restoration of its territorial integrity.

Speaking to journalists, Pashinyan stressed that no Armenian representative has the authority to renounce sovereign territory, a position he also reinforced through his social media posts. He noted that the enclave issue should be addressed through a structured delimitation process, Caliber.Az reports, citing Armenian media.

“We are obliged to adhere to our written commitments, and I rule out any forceful scenario,” Pashinyan said. He added that the delimitation process should establish the trajectory of territorial integrity for both countries based on the Almaty Declaration.

The Prime Minister further clarified that once delimitation is complete, all potential combinations and variations will be carefully considered.

“There are discussions suggesting that, regarding Artsvashen (Bashkend), alternative scenarios could be explored. However, no one can pursue a different scenario without considering the will of the Armenian people. If a territorial exchange is ever contemplated, it will be impossible to proceed without the explicit consent of Armenian citizens. Even if a referendum is not held, the people’s approval remains indispensable,” Pashinyan concluded.

By Vafa Guliyeva