Map to a certain liking

Yesterday, the Parliament’s Standing Committee on Foreign Relations gave a positive conclusion to the question of discussing and ratifying the regulation on the state border between Armenia and Azerbaijan at the plenary session of the National Assembly. First, let’s state that despite the ratification by the Constitutional Court, it is an obviously unconstitutional document, which has not received any clarification, except for the unclear and dangerous text published by the office of the deputy prime minister. First, let’s note that Mher Grigoryan did not answer any question clearly neither in the committee nor during the session, giving general and vague explanations.

The current process, which is not only anti-constitutional, but also anti-state, has nothing to do with Armenians and Armenian values ​​and exclusively serves the Turkish-Azerbaijani agenda. Moreover, the ongoing developments prove that the Alma-Ata Declaration, which Pashinyan has been permanently neglecting, becomes null and void in this case as well, because we can see that Azerbaijan is actually bypassing it as well.

From Grigoryan’s claims, it became known that the delimitation process in Syunik and Tavush was carried out with the maps of 1976. Moreover, he stated that the given maps referred only to that specific area. In other words, in the same 1976 map, the problems and the passing border in other disputed areas should be delimited by other maps, which is illogical, because all this speaks of an incomprehensible and unpredictable reality. It turns out that one map will be used for Jermuk and Vardenis, and a completely different one for Sotk-Khoznavar or another geographical area. And it is even more controversial when the map that is used as a basis “on the ground” is not used on the “and-and” basis, but on the “either-or” principle, because it is more than predictable that the Azerbaijani side will advance for each section. a map version with a beneficial and favorable layout for itself, to which, again by the same logic, the Armenian side will not have any objection.

It turns out that the prediction that the fact of “segmental delimitation” fixed in the regulation is a huge minefield embedded in the process of border adjustment has come true, and Grigoryan confirmed that the risk that when a clear segment is not specified, i.e., there is no map basis, there is no guarantee that during the so-called segmental delimitation in any area, the Azerbaijani side will not present another demand and put a new map on the negotiating table.

Of course, it is illogical to hold such a discussion in the Parliament, because the process called border delimitation in Tavush was carried out without any regulations. In other words, the Armenian troops were withdrawn and the high grounds of strategic importance were ceded to the Azerbaijani side without any factual justification.

As we have witnessed before, this time too Nikol Pashinyan and his administration are taking their steps from behind, as Pashinyan likes, “from the opposite side”. First, the process is performed, and only then do they try to document it. Today we are faced with a reality when Armenian units have retreated from the actual sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia, property belonging to the Republic of Armenia (positions) has been given to Azerbaijan without any legal justification—just another primitive manifestation of good will—when Aliyev does not hide his true intentions at all and clearly expresses his stance (the daily rhetoric from Baku does not speak of any rational and constructive discourse).

In this whole process called “RA delimitation”, it is gradually becoming clear that it is the authorities who contradict their own statements every time, when they say one thing, they do the opposite. Back in April-May, various representatives of the government announced in Tavush that after the delimitation in the Kirants-Voskepar section, the processes will be moved to the Berkaber section and mapping and measurements will be done there. Moreover, they proudly announced that “about 900 hectares of land beyond the Berkaber reservoir will be returned to the residents of Borlebaber,” but no step has been taken in this regard. Thus, once again we can clearly see that Azerbaijan, with its clear attitude and specific dry rhetoric, is able to get what it wants from Nikol Pashinyan, and no matter how much the Armenian authorities boast about various “diplomatic” successes and incomprehensible achievements, we have the following “on the ground”: So far, the Armenian side has been only conceding without getting anything in return.

Another important episode is also noteworthy. In fact, in contrast to the heated discussions and the ratification of the law in Armenia, there is no concurrent process taking place on this issue in Azerbaijan. This is utter nonsense and indicates that the ongoing process is very likely to reach a dead end. As Nikol Pashinyan often likes to repeat, “the process of delimitation is a synchronized process,” but we can see another picture. If Azerbaijan does not sign and ratify the regulations, we will face another situation when we are left with nothing, and it will be necessary to start everything from scratch.

Basically, we can conclude the following from the events taking place these days: If only Nikol Pashinyan was guilty of the anti-state and treasonous actions carried out up to this period (inciting the war, capitulation on Nov. 9, the famous statement in Prague, etc.), now he has passed to the next stage. After “validating” the regulation in the Constitutional Court, now he is trying to get a new “legitimacy” in the Parliament, dragging his whole team into all of it, so that they will bear the responsibility equally and completely. It is obvious that Pashinyan is in a hurry to have documents in his hands, on one of which it will be written “Demarcation of Armenian Borders”, and on the other “Peace Treaty”, and he simply does not care about their content.

P.S. When Alen Simonyan proudly declares in the National Assembly that “in fact, this territory was and is an internationally recognized territory of Azerbaijan,” the entire bareness of the government becomes much clearer to the public.

Armen Hovasapyan