Border passes where it passes: Pashinyan spoke about Yerevan`s  principles and possible problems during delimitation

ArmInfo. RA  Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan referred to the Armenia-Azerbaijan border demarcation  process at the beginning of the Cabinet meeting.

As the press service of the government reports, iIn his speech, the  Prime Minister, in particular, noted:

"As you are aware, yesterday the commissions of the Republic of  Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, in compliance with the  protocol adopted at the joint session of April 19, agreed on the  border sections between villages of Baghanis of the Republic of  Armenia - Baghanis Ayrum of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Voskepar of  the Republic of Armenia - Ashagh Askipara of the Republic of  Azerbaijan, Kirants of the Republic of Armenia - Khairemli of the  Republic of Azerbaijan, Berkaber of the Republic of Armenia - Kyzyl  Hajil of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and signed the  description-protocols of these border sections.

I want to say that I consider this a great success. I consider it a  great success for two reasons.  First, a very important cornerstone  has been laid for the further development and strengthening of our  sovereignty and independence. Second, for the first time since  independence, our republic has an officially delimited border, which  will significantly increase the level of security and stability not  only in the area of the mentioned villages, but also along the entire  Armenia-Azerbaijan border.

And I also want to thank the Government Commission on Border  Delimitation and Border Security, headed by Deputy Prime Minister  Mher Grigoryan and all members. I want to thank all the members of  the Security Council of the Republic of Armenia, who were involved in  this whole process, in fact, on a daily basis. I also want to thank  you, all of you present, because I have regularly provided  information about what is happening around the delimitation process.

I would like to make an additional comment on one or two details. I  am sure that yesterday you saw the answers of the Information and  Public Relations Department of the Government to the questions of  "Armenpress" and you noticed that it is recorded, of course, it is  also recorded in the joint statement of the commissions, that the  demarcation took place based on the maps of 1976, which passed a duty  process in 1979.

You know that it was fundamental for us not to create a new border in  the process of demarcation between Armenia and Azerbaijan, but to  reproduce the borders previously affirmed by the Alma-Ata  Declaration. In other words, we are saying that during delimitation  we should not create a border, but we should reproduce the borders  that existed at the time of the collapse of the Soviet Union and have  de jure legal significance. For this, we first referred to the  Alma-Ata Declaration, and on April 19, this was fixed, recorded, as  the basic principle of the entire demarcation process. Now we also  have a reference to the maps, and they are the last de jure maps of  the Soviet Union.

And I want to describe what the duty the process is: between the  Soviet republics, in fact, if not constantly, there were regular  adjustments of border issues according to the internal laws and  procedures of the republics, of course, within the framework of the  legislation of the Soviet Union. And those already established  processes were given final legal force at the cartographic level by  the authorized body of the Soviet Union in the field of geodesy and  cartography, which regularly, from time to time, collected from the  republics the decisions that had already gained legal force in the  republics, that is, what information that existed during that time,  that has legal force, was collected, they were rechecked. This is a  very important circumstance, that is, not only has the information  been collected, but the authorized body went back to find out how  legally justified the information it received really is. And, based  on all this information, it confirmed the cartographic basis of the  border line between the Soviet republics.

And here, in our demarcated area, the maps that went through that  duty process were in 1979, that is, were de jure approved, are the  last such maps during the Soviet Union. In other words, during the  existence of the Soviet Union, there is simply no other map that has  passed the duty process in our demarcated areas.

And this principle, that there should be a reproduction of borders,  is extremely important for us. And in simpler terms, we have adopted  the principle that the border passes where it passes. I want all of  us to record this subtlety: the border passes where it passes. And  this is also an extremely important principle. Because if we were to  go with the logic that by deviating from this principle, we should  create a new border, what would that mean, would that mean that we  are creating a direct source of escalation and military conflict?  With this process of ours, of course, I don't want us to overestimate  what happened, but I also don't want to underestimate it, by fixing  this principle, when we say that the border passes where it passes,  we, in fact, if have not eliminated the chances for escalation, at  least we have significantly reduced it. And also in this sense, I  consider what happened to be a very important and essential success.

Now about the specific results of demarcation. Look, we say that, for  example, there was no problem in the section of Berkaber village, and  as a result, there is no problem. We say that there were possible  problems in parts of Baghanis-Voskepar villages, but in practice it  turned out that there was no problem, in particular, you know, there  were very sensitive issues related to the Church of the Holy Virgin,  Voskepar and also Voskepar-Baghanis, as the people say, with the old  road. Those who traveled that way, when we passed the village of  Voskepar or the village of Baghanis on the opposite side, there was a  sign "Site under observation". And now, as a result of the  demarcation, that road is not only completely in the already de jure  established, reaffirmed sovereign territory of the Republic of  Armenia, but also, in fact, due to new circumstances, that road is  already safe for traffic.

We didn't have any problems in the church section, not only in terms  of the church itself, but also in terms of the distance from the  church to the border line, because if I'm not mistaken, at least I  was told that there is quite a distance between the church and the  border line. Now, why is there no problem in the Voskepar-Baghanis  section and there is no problem in the Berkaber section? Because we  have adopted the principle that the border passes where it passes.

And why can we have and have certain problems in the Kirants sector?  Again for the same reason, because we have adopted the principle that  the border passes where it passes. And this principle is very  important. The recording of this cartographic, political and legal  basis is very important, as it is essentially valid for all sites and  sections of the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan. In addition, I  want to say that this is one of the most important motivations for  us, that we agreed upon adopting this principle, because we took into  account that now we are creating not only a precedent, but also a  delimitation formula that should work in the future, for the whole  process of delimitation. And this means that the demarcation process  becomes maximally predictable for both Azerbaijan and us.

Of course, I say again, where the Parties will consider that there is  a need for certain compromises, this can also be discussed in  accordance with our laws and procedures. But the most important point  of this stage is that a principle was formed and established, which  will operate along the entire Armenia-Azerbaijan border, and along  the entire length we will follow the path of reproducing the existing  border that had legal force at the time of the collapse of the Soviet  Union.

In those areas where we have problems, certain problems may arise,  the government will consistently solve all these problems. We have  already said that these problems are our problems, they are not the  problems of the residents of Kirants or a few families, they are our  problems and it is the problem of our government, it is my problem,  and we will solve these problems consistently.

And I just want to share my belief, I'm just convinced that we made a  decision that is of utmost importance on the way to realizing our  strategic goal stated back in 2019, and that strategic goal was to  create conditions for the continued existence of the sovereign,  independent state of the Republic of Armenia. Today, an important one  of those conditions is ensured, of course, in the part that was  announced, but it is also important that a certain horizon has been  opened for the future, which can be maximally predictable for us.  That's all I wanted to say," Pashinyan concluded. 

Yesterday, the border demarcation commissions of Armenia and  Azerbaijan, in compliance with the joint protocol adopted on April  19, agreed on some sections of the border in the villages of Baghanis  of Armenia - Baghanis-Ayrum of Azerbaijan, Voskepar of Armenia -  Ashagi Askipara of Azerbaijan, Kirants of Armenia - Kheyrimli of  Azerbaijan, Berkaber of Armenia - Ghizilhajili  of Azerbaijan.  Descriptions and protocols of these border areas were signed.

As it became known from a message from the administration of the  Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia, three coordinates in the  Kirants area have been determined using a computer; the markers will  be installed later. "The other markers have been installed.  Good  news for Kirants is that the village will regain about 25 hectares of  agricultural land that has been inaccessible to Kirants for the past  33 years. The border description is exactly as presented on the 1976  map. As mentioned earlier, the issue of road relocation will arise,  but it can be addressed within 2-3 months. Additionally, the road  leading from highway H-26 to Acharkut and further to Kirants, which  serves as an alternative for Kirants, will be repaired. Regarding  property matters, their scope will not be large, and any damage  suffered by citizens in such cases will be compensated by the state  through property or financial means according to their preference.  Government representatives will commence inventorying potential  issues and engaging in discussions with Kirants residents early in  the morning," the government stated. It is expected that border  guards from both sides will stand at the agreed border in the next  8-9 days.