Regulations for Joint Activities of Armenia and Azerbaijan Border Demarcation Commissions to be Sent to Constitutional Court

Today, an official announcement was made stating that the regulations for the joint activities of the border demarcation and border security commissions between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan have been signed. The Information and Public Relations Department of the Prime Minister's Office responded to questions from Armenpress. Below is the Q&A.

Question: According to the press release dated August 30, 2024, the regulations for the joint activities of the commissions have been signed accordingly. Where did the signing take place?

Response: The regulations were signed through the exchange of original documents via diplomatic channels.

Question: When will the text of the regulations be published?

Response: The document will be made public in due course this coming Monday, within the framework of the domestic approval processes. The regulations will be presented to the Government for discussion as stipulated by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia, after which the ratification procedure will begin in the National Assembly, and for this purpose, the document will first be sent to the Constitutional Court to determine its compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia.

Question: Why isn’t the document being published now?

Response: The key political content of the document was essentially disclosed in the press release regarding the meeting of the commissions on April 19, 2024. The later publication of the document is associated with the need to synchronize the processes in both countries as much as possible.

Question: Why wasn’t the agreement to harmonize the draft regulations maintained until July 1, 2024?

Response: By July 1, the commissions had exchanged working versions of the draft regulations and proposals several times, but slightly more time was actually needed for the negotiations to finalize and sign the draft.

Question: When will the next phase of demarcation take place, and in which section of the border?

Response: According to the press release regarding the meeting of the commissions on April 19, 2024, the parties agreed that after the approval of the regulations, they should coordinate the sequence and continue the border demarcation process for all remaining sections of the border.

Question: Will the demarcation continue based on the same principles in the remaining sections of the border?

Response: According to the press release regarding the meeting of the commissions on April 19, 2024, the parties agreed to be guided by the 1991 Almaty Declaration in the demarcation process, and this fundamental principle will also be recorded in the regulations.

Question: How long might the ratification process take?

Response: As already mentioned, within the framework of the ratification procedure, it will be sent to the Constitutional Court to determine the compliance of the obligations enshrined in it with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. Upon a positive opinion from the Constitutional Court, it will then be presented to the National Assembly for ratification.