We Are Not Prepared to Give Any Settlement or Territory That Was Within the Borders of Soviet Armenia

Arsen Torosyan, a member of the parliamentary faction of the ruling Civil Contract party, has addressed the issues of border demarcation and delimitation, noting that this is not the first time such discussions have taken place.

According to Torosyan, there could be several reasons for starting the process from Tavush. “Firstly, it is important to initiate this process as we can theoretically talk about border delimitation forever without ever starting. I think initiating it is in our best interest. Secondly, a very important and fundamental aspect (which has been repeatedly stated by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Prime Minister) is that we need to make a bilateral decision on which maps we will be guided by,” he stated.

He emphasized that if a decision is made to follow one particular map, it indicates that the same map will also be used in other areas. Torosyan assured, “This does not mean the creation of a new border; rather, it should be a legal, real confirmation of the existing borders.” He also mentioned that “Unfortunately, due to Azerbaijan, no agreement has yet been reached regarding the choice of maps.”

Torosyan spoke about the meeting with residents of Tavush, highlighting the importance of listening to all questions from the country's leadership. “We are not prepared to give any administrative settlement or territory that has been within the borders of Soviet Armenia to any country,” he stated. He added that if during the border delimitation the line passes through any territory controlled by either side, it should be returned to the respective side based on mutual agreement between the two parties.