Lawyer stresses importance of Azerbaijani-Armenian border delimitation for sovereignty

Artashes Khalatyan, a lawyer, underscored the critical necessity of delimitation and demarcation processes in defining sovereign territories during an interview with Armenian media.

Khalatyan emphasized that these processes are essential for establishing clear and recognized borders, ensuring stability, and preventing conflicts, Caliber.Az reports.

"Delimitation and demarcation is a normal and necessary process, and all states in the world have gone through and are going through this process," Khalatyan stated. He highlighted the prolonged nature of demarcation efforts, citing examples such as the ongoing demarcation of the Russian-Chinese border.

According to Khalatyan, failing to undertake delimitation and demarcation poses significant risks, including the potential for perpetual conflict or the threat of war. He warned that without clearly defined borders, states leave themselves vulnerable to disputes and border violations by other nations.

"The alternative to demarcation is to live in conditions of constant war or threat of war," Khalatyan cautioned. He stressed that denying the necessity of clarifying borders could result in a lack of respect for a nation's territorial integrity by other states, leading to ongoing disputes and potential escalations.

Khalatyan highlighted the importance of having clear legal frameworks to address border disputes, emphasizing that distinct legal consequences apply to acts of aggression versus interstate disputes over disputed borders.

"These are completely different legal regimes with different legal consequences," the lawyer explained. He suggested that without a clear demarcation of borders, determining whether an action constitutes aggression or a dispute becomes challenging, complicating efforts by the international community to provide a reasoned response.

“These represent entirely different legal regimes with distinct legal consequences," the lawyer explained. He suggested that without clear demarcation of borders, determining whether an action constitutes aggression or a dispute becomes challenging, complicating the efforts of the international community to provide a reasoned response.