RPA executive body, ARF Supreme body issue statements over  Armenia-Azerbaijan delimitation 

ArmInfo.The executive body of the Republican Party of Armenia (RPA) and the Supreme body of the ARF  Dashnaktsutyun made statements in connection with the delimitation process launched between Armenia and Azerbaijan.

Thus, the RPA statement notes that the agreements reached as a result  of the meeting on April 19, 2024 of the commissions on the  delimitation of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan indicate  that the Armenian authorities, under the threat of the use of force,  continue their capitulatory policy, which calls into question the  security and very existence of the country.

"According to this agreement, the delimitation of the settlements of  Baghanis, Voskepar, Kirants and Berkaber with Azerbaijan will be  considered final, regardless of the completion of the process of  further delimitation of the entire border. This means that  territories of strategic importance, which are currently under the  control of the Armenian armed forces, will come under the control of  Azerbaijan. Our Armed Forces will withdraw from the area of these  four villages and give way to Azerbaijani border troops. In addition,  vital infrastructure for the local population will come under  Azerbaijan's control. It is noteworthy that the Armenian authorities  are making this unilateral concession in conditions where Azerbaijan  has repeatedly stated that it is not going to leave the territories  occupied by the Republic of Armenia," noted the RPA Executive Body.

At the same time, the RPA is confident that such partial delimitation  is unacceptable, since it only means unilateral concessions to the  Azerbaijani side. According to the RPA, the process of border  delimitation should begin not with actual territorial changes, but  with determining the order of delimitation of all sections of the  border, their delimitation, and only after this transfer of  demarcation to the area.

"Azerbaijan clearly stated that after solving this problem, it will  turn to the issue of returning the so-called enclaves. Obviously,  these territories, which are legally the territory of the Republic of  Armenia, will also be transferred to Azerbaijan by the current  authorities with the same "justification". In the Tavush region, this  will mean that the border villages will be surrounded by Azerbaijan,  with all the disastrous consequences that follow.

The Armenian authorities are trying to present their capitulatory  step as a success, referring to the point of the agreement, according  to which the parties in the border delimitation process will be  guided by the Alma-Ata Declaration of 1991. This is an outright  fraud, since the text of the same agreement states that other  settlements may be included in a future peace agreement. The  Azerbaijani side has never hidden that in the process of border  delimitation it will be guided not by international law, but by the  principle of "justice," the Republicans noted.

The RPA added that international practice shows that in the process  of delimitation, optimization of the border is extremely important,  the purpose of which is to create conditions for the traditional  economic activities of residents of border settlements, the operation  of existing transport, land reclamation, and utility infrastructures,  and the preservation of religious sites.

"It is obvious that as a result of the policy pursued by the Armenian  authorities, these vital values for the population will be destroyed.  Despite the fact that Nikol Pashinyan directly stated that Azerbaijan  will start a war against Armenia if the territory under the control  of Armenia is not transferred to Azerbaijan, the collective West  welcomes the agreements of the meeting on April 19, 2024 with  undisguised delight. It is more than obvious that such a process  cannot lead to the establishment of a just and stable peace between  the two countries.

According to the press release about the meeting on April 19, 2024 of  the commissions of Armenia and Azerbaijan on delimitation issues, as  a result of the meeting, a protocol was signed, but the text of this  protocol has not been published," the statement continues.

The position of the RPA regarding delimitation processes is clearly  expressed in the draft statement of the opposition factions presented  recently in the National Assembly, which was rejected by the ruling  faction.  In particular: "The delimitation and demarcation between  the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan must be in  accordance with the best international practices and norms and must  be based on the UN Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties (1969),  the Helsinki Final Act (1975) and conceptual norms of the OSCE  Secretariat document "Delimitation and demarcation of state borders,  urgent issues and solutions" (2017), including the fundamental  principle according to which any international agreement reached  through the threat or use of force is invalid.

Delimitation and demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan can be  carried out in an atmosphere of trust, the most important  prerequisites for the formation of which are the withdrawal of  Azerbaijani troops from the sovereign territory of the Republic of  Armenia, the cessation of aggression by Azerbaijan, the return of all  prisoners of war and detainees, the solution of existing humanitarian  problems and the preservation of cultural heritage. Moreover,  delimitation and demarcation between the Republic of Armenia and the  Republic of Azerbaijan can in no way limit the right of the people of  Artsakh to collectively return to Nagorno-Karabakh under  international guarantees, as well as predetermine the final status of  Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh)."

In turn, the ARF statement notes that the current government of  Armenia under the leadership of Nikol Pashinyan announced another  state-harmful and criminally punishable process, according to which  the territories of the Tavush region will be transferred to  Azerbaijan.  The ARF also expressed support for the Tavush residents  who are protesting against the unilateral concessions of the Armenian  authorities.

The ARF noted that the border demarcation commission, headed by the  Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Mher Grigoryan, does  not have the authority to give consent or make a decision on the  transfer of any territory under the sovereign jurisdiction of the  Republic of Armenia to another state or to determine the line of the  state border of the Republic of Armenia . And any other action that  goes against the vested authority is an abuse of power and a criminal  act.

"The decision to delimitate the Tavush region and begin actual work  in this direction was made not only with complete disregard for  advanced international practice in such matters, prohibited by  international law in conditions of the threat or use of force,  ignoring the security of Armenia, goes against the legislation of the  Republic of Armenia, including the law "On the State Border".

The indicated territories are under the sovereign jurisdiction of the  Republic of Armenia, on which the laws of the Republic of Armenia are  in force, the Armed Forces of Armenia are deployed and in accordance  with Article 205 of the Constitution, which entered into force on  December 1, November 22, 2015, issues related to any changes in the  territory of the Republic of Armenia are resolved exclusively through  a referendum," the ARF added.

The ARF again recalled that delimitation and demarcation between the  two countries are consistent processes. "Firstly, according to  international law and based on experience, a complete delimitation of  the border must be carried out between the two countries. If this  document provides for changes in any section of the border, then a  referendum must be held. And only if the results of the referendum  are available, demarcation is carried out.

Until the approval of the said referendum, the Armed Forces of  Armenia are obliged to fulfill their constitutional functions to  ensure the defense, security, territorial integrity and inviolability  of the borders of the Republic of Armenia.

Accordingly, we declare and warn Nikol Pashinyan and all persons  involved in the process that without a referendum, any change  (transfer to another state) of any territory under the sovereign  jurisdiction of the Republic of Armenia, or any actions carried out  in this direction, is not only invalid, but also is considered to be  contrary to the constitutional order of the Republic of Armenia and a  particularly serious crime against state security, punishable by up  to life imprisonment," the ARF statement says.

On Friday, the Armenian Foreign Ministry reported that during the  meeting of the commissions of the two countries on border  delimitation issues that took place on April 19, "the commissions  have preliminary agreed upon separate sections of the borderline  immediately between the settlements of Baghanis (Republic of Armenia)  - Baghanis Ayrum (Republic of Azerbaijan), Voskepar (Republic of  Armenia) - Ashaghi Askipara (Republic of Azerbaijan), Kirants  (Republic of Armenia) - Kheyrimli (Republic of Azerbaijan) and  Berkaber (Republic of Armenia) - Ghizilhajili (Republic of  Azerbaijan), in order to bring them into compliance with the legally  justified interrepublican border that existed within the Soviet Union  at the moment of its dissolution." Thus, the Armenian authorities   decided to unilaterally transfer the territories of 4 Armenian  villages to Azerbaijan without any guarantees.