Naira Badalian We could start with maps of Babylon – Armenian FM to Azerbaijani president

ARMINFO
Armenia –
Naira Badalian

ArmInfo. Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has commented on Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's statement that the border delimitation and demarcation process with Armenia will be based on maps dated to 1918 to 1991, the year the  USSR disintegration. Aliyev claimed that some maps dated to 1918-1920  show Yerevan and Syunik as part of Azerbaijan. 

"We do not object to cartography. But why should we restrict  ourselves to the 20th century? We could start with maps drawn in  Babylon in the 6th century BCE, or by Herodotus in the 5th century  BCE, or by Strabo in the 1st century CE, or by Claudius Ptolemy in  the 2nd century, or by Pliny the Elder during the same period – and  continue with numerous Latin, Byzantine, Arab, and other geographical  descriptions and maps of later periods. Armenia has no fear of not  finding itself on those maps," Mr Mirzoyan said in an interview with  the Armenpress news agency.

However, being interested in the effective work of the forthcoming  Commission on demarcation and border security, the Republic of  Armenia believes that this work should be based on maps that are  accepted by both sides and have legal force.