ArmInfo.Armenia has no intention of removing the issue of enclaves and exclaves from the negotiating agenda, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated during a briefing on July 9.
"To put it mildly, we are extremely interested in this topic. The village of Artsvashen is an exclave currently under Azerbaijani control, and it is part of Armenia's sovereign territory according to the principles of the 1991 Alma-Ata Declaration," the Prime Minister said.
Pashinyan warned that if Armenia were to accept the principle of "whoever controls a territory owns it," it would be tantamount to removing the issue of Armenia's occupied territories—including areas near Jermuk—from the agenda. "We must follow a de jure path and be guided by the same maps used during the delimitation process in Tavush," he emphasized.
He noted that Armenia aims to de-escalate tensions surrounding this issue, adding that the resolution found for Artsvashen will serve as a framework for settling other similar disputes. Pashinyan outlined two potential approaches: retention- the enclave or exclave remains under the control of the state to which it de jure belongs and negotiated adjustment- the parties reach an agreement to alter the status of specific territories.
The Prime Minister pointed out that Artsvashen is officially designated as an enclave on Azerbaijani maps. "This is an important nuance, and I believe we must demonstrate a mirror approach," he said, noting that this fact is significant for shaping state policy and positioning.
"We must be guided not by the principle of 'whoever controls it owns it,' but by the logic of a peace treaty," Pashinyan remarked. He emphasized that Armenia and Azerbaijan must resolve these issues without creating new problems for one another. If agreements are reached that require a public mandate under the Constitution of Armenia, the authorities will consult the will of the citizens, the Prime Minister assured.
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