URGENT NEWS for residents living near the Armenia border: Pashinyan opens the enclave issue and...

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has stressed the importance of resolving the issue of the enclaves between Armenia and Azerbaijan through peaceful means.

According to him, the process should not create new problems for people living in border areas. Pashinyan noted that, based on the agreed principles of delimitation, Karki, Barchudarly and Yukhari Askipara are territories of Azerbaijan. The Armenian prime minister emphasized that the delimitation process is being carried out on the basis of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration. The document recognizes the administrative borders of the former Soviet republics.

“This issue must be resolved, but not through military means. This is already a closed chapter of the past,” the prime minister said.

Does the emphasis on “not through military means” indicate that Yerevan hopes for a scenario involving the exchange of these territories?

Speaking to TodayPress TV about the issue, political analyst Natiq Miri said that there is currently no specific principle or agreement in this regard:

“The main point is that these territories are recognized as territories of Azerbaijan. At the same time, there are lands belonging to Armenia that remain within Azerbaijani territory, meaning that Armenia has claims in this regard. These also need to be regulated on the basis of an agreement.

This can happen in various ways: through an exchange of territories, the mutual return of lands subject to claims, the allocation of portions of entirely different territories in exchange for certain areas, or even by paying certain compensation, while ensuring that territories important to Azerbaijan’s interests remain under Azerbaijan’s control.

In other words, there are various options, and I think these will be discussed at all levels during meetings of the delimitation commission. However, the main point is that specific regulations for resolving this issue have been adopted and approved. Following this, ways of resolving the issue will be sought, which is a gradual process. The important thing is that this will be carried out within the framework of peace and through negotiations.”

It is known that the issue of Bashkend is also of particular interest to the Azerbaijani public. Bashkend is located deep inside Gadabay District, while Azerbaijan’s other four enclaves are situated along Armenia’s strategic routes. How will this issue be resolved?

The political analyst believes that it would be premature to say definitively which option will be preferred or to make predictions on the matter. He said it would not be appropriate for experts to determine which options the commission will prioritize or what direction the parties’ mutual agreement will take:

“However, as I have said, Bashkend — the village of Bashkend in Gadabay — is shown as part of Armenia under international law. At the same time, Bashkend is an area of particular importance to Azerbaijan and may not be of the same strategic significance to Armenia. For a long time, no Armenians have lived in Bashkend. In this regard, the issue could, in a sense, be resolved through Bashkend as compensation — that is, through certain payments, concessions or an exchange for other territories. However, which options will be prioritized is a matter for the future.

The main point is that there is political will to resolve the problems, and this resolution will take place within the peace process and through negotiations. The parties have mutually accepted this.”

N. Miri also spoke about Karki, another important issue:

“One of the important issues is the village of Karki in Nakhchivan, whose belonging to Azerbaijan has now also been confirmed at the level of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. This fact is very important, and before long, the residents of Karki village will return to their native land.”

Giymat Mahir