21:40, 1 June 2023

YEREVAN, JUNE 1, ARMENPRESS. Armenia and Azerbaijan, in all probability, are not opposed to the 1975 maps being used as a basis for the border delimitation works, ARMENPRESS reports, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced during the meeting with the Armenian community following the five-sided meeting held in Chișinău, reflecting on the results.

"In general, I should consider the discussion productive," said the Prime Minister.

Pashinyan reminded that it was agreed in Prague that Armenia and Azerbaijan should mutually recognize each other's territorial integrity based on the Almaty Declaration. The Almaty Declaration was signed in December 1991, after the collapse of the USSR. The Almaty Declaration was about countries recognizing each other's territorial integrity, the inviolability of borders within existing borders.

"We reached that agreement in Prague, and in Brussels we went one step further, we came to the understanding that Azerbaijan recognizes the territorial integrity of Armenia's 29,800 square kilometers, and Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan – 86,600 square kilometers," said the Prime Minister.

He emphasized that the understanding is that the issue of the rights and security of the Armenians of Nagorno-Karabakh should be discussed in the format of the Baku-Stepanakert dialogue, which should take place with international involvement, so that this agenda is not forgotten.

"Today there is one very preliminary detail that is important. Why I say very preliminary, because we need to check Azerbaijan's reaction to today's meeting. It seems that the parties are not opposed to taking the 1975 maps as a basis for further delimitation between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This means another step to reaffirm the territorial integrity of 29,800 square kilometers and 86,600 square kilometers," Pashinyan added.