The Process of Artsakh Being Part of Azerbaijan Should Be Discussed: Eduard Aghajanyan

Eduard Aghajanyan, the chairman of the National Assembly's standing committee on foreign relations, stated in an interview with Azatutyun that Armenia effectively recognized Azerbaijan's territorial integrity back in 1991 by signing the agreement on the establishment of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) with Azerbaijan, whereby both parties acknowledged each other's territorial integrity.

As such, Armenia has no claims over Azerbaijani territories. Responding to the assertion that Azerbaijan has repeatedly stated that all of Nagorno-Karabakh is Azerbaijani territory, Aghajanyan remarked, "In this regard, I believe our position responds to this assertion and closes the issue in the following context: Armenia has never had any claims regarding Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, and the right of the Armenian population of Artsakh to live safely in their historical homeland is at stake. Therefore, this has been the core of the conflict since the early 1990s, and we are essentially not saying anything new here. Throughout the last 30 years, the Republic of Armenia's position at the negotiation table has always been the right of the Armenian population of Artsakh to live safely in their homeland."

When asked whether it is possible for Artsakh to be part of Azerbaijan, Aghajanyan responded, "I believe this process must be discussed, and the final status of Artsakh should be addressed to reach a conclusion within the framework of a peace treaty's final confirmation and signing." In a follow-up question from the journalist, asking if by recognizing Azerbaijan's territorial integrity, does it include Artsakh as part of Azerbaijan, the ruling party member suggested separating these issues. "There exists the Republic of Azerbaijan with its internationally recognized territory, the integrity of which Armenia recognized back in the early 1990s. And there exists the territory of the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast, which has had a degree of autonomy since Soviet times. The problem in this territory has emerged due to specific actions against the ethnic Armenians living there, stemming from national affiliation, which escalated into a large-scale war, the aftermath of which we are experiencing today."

According to Aghajanyan, this issue must be resolved in accordance with international norms and principles, on which Armenia has its position and is prepared to present it clearly at the negotiating table. "Negotiations must begin, including the question of the final status of Artsakh," he emphasized, adding that it is essential to clarify the question of Artsakh being part of Azerbaijan during the negotiations.

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