Socio-political movement Miasin calls for holding American company  Google Maps accountable

ArmInfo.. With this statement, the Alternative Socio-Political Movement Miasin (Together), based on the public  prescription of the official US policy supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Armenia, addressed the US Ambassador to Armenia, Christina Kvien.

In its statement, the movement emphasizes that the maps published by  Google Maps, in compliance with Azerbaijan's occupation demands,  indicate the so-called Azerbaijani enclaves on the territory of  Armenia.  This confirms Azerbaijan's violent policy of and violates  the inviolability of sovereign territories.  "We declare that Google  Maps shows two Azerbaijani enclaves (Verin Voskepar and Azatamut) in  the north-east of Armenia, as well as the Tigranashen (Karki) enclave  in the Ararat region. However, the commission for the adjustment and  demarcation of the state border, established in 1984-1987 by the  Armenian and Azerbaijani SSRs, has recorded that Azerbaijan does not  have enclaves within the territory of Armenia. There have been no  trilaterally ratified decisions on the recognition of the mentioned  enclaves- exclaves as Azerbaijani," the statement says.

The Miasin movement also recalls that Armenia recognizes the  territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, as outlined in the Almaty  Declaration. This declaration upholds the borders established during  the Soviet era, which means that enclaves and exclaves should not  exist. These are merely territorial claims made by the current  criminal group ruling in Azerbaijan.  "In his message on the occasion  of Armenia's Independence Day on September 21, 2024, the US Secretary  of State emphasized that the United States remains committed to the  democratic aspirations of the Armenian people in matters of  sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Therefore, the  actions by Google Maps are in direct opposition to this policy,  international law and democratic values. We anticipate the  involvement of the US Embassy in resolving this issue. If necessary,  we are ready to provide all relevant documents on the delimitation  and demarcation of the border from the Soviet era, complete with  signatures from responsible persons," the movement's statement says. 

In addition, the movement expressed support for the initiative of six  members of the US Congress, who called on the US government to hold  Azerbaijan accountable for its crimes, including illegal detentions  and occupation of Armenia's sovereign territories. Lawmakers called  on the State Department to demand the release of all hostages,  political prisoners and prisoners of war, including ethnic Armenians,  to create a favorable diplomatic atmosphere ahead of COP 29. "We hope  that the US Embassy will use its influence to demonstrate solidarity  in every step of implementing this initiative,"  the Miasin  socio-political movement concluded. 

It should be noted that today, October 11, the Miasin movement held a  roundtable at the central office of the Democratic Party of Armenia,  dedicated to the problem of distortion of Google Maps cartographic  data and the recognition of Armenian territories as Azerbaijani.  During the roundtable, the speaker, former Prime Minister of Armenia  Hrant Bagratyan, presented the trilateral protocol on the demarcation  of the border between the Armenian and Azerbaijani Soviet Republics,  signed in 1987. He emphasized that the presented document is proof of  the absence of Azerbaijani enclaves on the territory of Armenia.  "Miasin" also drew attention to the contradictory position of the  current Prime Minister of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who denies the  facts recorded in historical documents and, according to the  movement, thereby surrenders part of Armenia's sovereign territories.  During the event, the participants also presented the text of the  demand sent to the US Embassy in Armenia. In it, "Miasin" demands  that the embassy respond to the falsification of Google Maps  cartographic data and take measures to restore the true border  between Armenia and Azerbaijan.