Pashinyan outlines option for resolving enclave/exclave issue between Armenia and Azerbaijan
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The exchange of the existing enclaves and exclaves between Armenia and Azerbaijan is one of the options being discussed in the negotiation process, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said.
“There are several options for resolving the issue of enclaves and exclaves,” Pashinyan said at a press briefing.
“The idea is to find a solution under which there would be no enclaves or exclaves on either side of the border. This is one of the scenarios under discussion. I sense that there is a growing understanding in Armenia and Azerbaijan that such a solution needs to be found, because we all understand that the alternative would create numerous problems, especially for residents of those villages, including questions about how they would cross the border,” Pashinyan said.
The prime minister noted that it is necessary to determine how such a solution would be formulated from a technical and legal standpoint, including whether a referendum would be required.
“First, border delimitation must take place, and the territories must be precisely identified. We need to know what area Artsvashen encompasses in order to find the right solution,” he said.
Pashinyan added that he believes Armenia and Azerbaijan have entered the final stage of institutionalizing peace and that it is important for the process to be completed by 2031.