Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan continues to develop the rhetoric that the issue of enclaves is related to the occupied territories of Armenia:
The head of government has already drawn parallels for the second time between the approximately 150 square kilometers captured by Azerbaijan in 2021-2022 and the territories of the 90s, asserting that one issue must be resolved in parallel with the other, according to the Almaty Declaration:
Today, the Prime Minister used the Azerbaijani name for Tigranashen. - "Now on these maps, Artsvashen is the territory of Armenia, Kyarki is not the territory of Armenia, Barkhudarli is not the territory of Armenia, Yukhari Askiperan is not the territory of Armenia. This is a fact that we must deal with. Secondly, Artsvashen is the territory of Armenia, and today there are territories that are mutually represented on the maps differently, on the ground differently, that is, the well-known situations in Jermuk, Vayots Dzor region, Tavush region, and so on:
Nikol Pashinyan insists that these issues do not have a military solution, but he does not clarify whether Yerevan is inclined to exchange territories with demarcation or to leave everything as it is:
"To solve it in a way that is convenient for people and for both countries, including the residents living in those areas. And we specifically have never discussed this topic, publicly more has been said on this topic than at the negotiating table," the Prime Minister stated:
However, different things have been said publicly over the years, for example, back in 2021, Pashinyan expressed doubt that there were any legal grounds for Azerbaijan to raise this issue. Later, the Prime Minister did not rule out the scenario of exchanging enclaves, and today he also said that this is also an option:
"In Jambarak or even in Yerevan, I meet with the residents of Artsvashen. Some of them say, 'You know what, let our village return, we will go live in our village,' others say, 'Well, we have already settled in Jambarak, let there be an exchange of corresponding territories.' One thing is clear: today we have no agreements, no protocols that the issue should be resolved either this way or that way," said Nikol Pashinyan:
According to various estimates, the Azerbaijani and Armenian enclaves are almost the same area in a three-to-one ratio. Artsvashen is approximately 38-40 square kilometers, while the three Azerbaijani enclaves together are about 44 square kilometers:
Opposition MP Arthur Khachatryan raises another question. - "Tigranashen is vital for the Republic of Armenia. After all, you understand, right? If the Azerbaijanis come and set up a military base in Tigranashen, what will happen - Armenia will be divided in half. This means that Nikol Pashinyan serves Turkish-Azerbaijani interests:
About a month ago, the Azerbaijani Foreign Minister also addressed the enclaves. Without mentioning the Armenian village of Artsvashen, Jeyhun Bayramov only stated that the issue of Azerbaijani villages would be resolved within the framework of delimitation:
"And if Nikol Pashinyan's only goal is to give up and leave, to solve our issues with Azerbaijan, relying on their kindness and benevolence, while we organize festivals here, he was doing that, we say no, there has never been a case in the world where the kindness of your opponent guarantees your peace," noted Arthur Khachatryan:
Two years ago, after the return of four villages to Azerbaijan in Tavush, delimitation stopped. There is only an agreement to continue in the north. Armenia and Azerbaijan have a common border of about 1000 km:
