Baku Refuses to Acknowledge Occupation of Armenian Settlements' Territories, Says Vice Prime Minister's Office

The office of Vice Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan, who leads the delimitation commission with Azerbaijan, reports that Azerbaijan refuses to accept that it is occupying the territories of 31 non-enclave settlements in Armenia. This essentially confirms that Baku demands four villages without any intention of withdrawing its troops from Armenian territories, reports Azatutyun.

Following the incidents in the village of Nerkhin Hand that cost the lives of four guards, Prime Minister Pashinyan raised the issue but did not clarify whether Azerbaijan, which is demanding the return of the four villages, is willing to withdraw from the 31 Armenian villages.

Azatutyun directed this question to the vice prime minister's office and also attempted to clarify which four villages are being referenced. The response indicated that Azerbaijan has mentioned the following place names: Baghanis Ayrum, Aghash (Nerkhin) Voskepar, Kheyrimly, and Kyzyl Hajili, while simultaneously refusing to acknowledge that the territories of 31 non-enclave settlements in Armenia are under Azerbaijani occupation.

These territories demanded by Azerbaijan are located in the Tavush region, largely uninhabited. For example, the interstate road to Georgia runs near Nerkhin Voskepar.

Since the last meeting of the delimitation commission in January, the parties have not presented any details and are now refusing to respond to whether the issue of the four and 31 villages was discussed at the recent meeting of the delimitation commissions. They specifically referred to the procedures of the two commissions, stating that clarifications beyond the official announcements of meetings are not permissible. This procedure was approved at a meeting of the government led by Pashinyan on December 14 of last year.

While addressing the 31 and four villages, the prime minister did not provide specific names. The office of Mher Grigoryan also clarified the 31 villages demanded by Armenia, noting that part of their territories fell under Azerbaijani control during the first war in Nagorno-Karabakh in the 1990s, while others were taken as a result of Azerbaijani incursions in 2021-22. The territories of these non-enclave settlements, which the official Yerevan considers vital, are located in five regions: in Tavush - Berkaberd, Sarigugh, Sevkar, Vazashen, Paravakar, Movses, Artsvaberd, Chinari, Aygedzor; in Syunik - Kajaran, Salvard, Gorhayk, Sarnakunq, Angehakot, Aghitu, Noravan, Vaghatin, Verishen, Khiznavar, Tegh, Nerkhin Hand; in the Ararat region - Paruyr Sevak; in Gegharkunik - Sotk, Kut, Norabak, Nerkhin Shorja, Verin Shorja, Akunk, Kakhakn, Koutakan; and in Vayots Dzor - Jermuk.

At the end of last year, Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated that 200 square kilometers of Armenia are under Azerbaijani occupation.