By Shoghik Galstian
YEREVAN (Azatutyun) — The Armenian government on August 13 provided little clarity on its negotiations with Azerbaijan regarding border delimitation, with the office of Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan representing Yerevan in the process only reaffirming that these talks were ongoing.
In a written statement sent to RFE/RL’s Armenian Service one month after its request for comment on why Yerevan and Baku apparently failed to agree on a document setting the principles of border delimitation by July 1, as previously agreed, Grigoryan’s office did not provide a clear answer regarding the matter, instead citing a statement from last month, indicating that negotiations were continuing “in a constructive manner.”
“It is planned to complete these negotiations in the near future and then proceed to the demarcation of the remaining parts of the border, including enclaves and exclaves,” the statement added.
In May, Armenia and Azerbaijan completed a controversial border demarcation process involving several sections of the border between the Tavush region of Armenia and the Qazax district of Azerbaijan. The process, which began with a mutual agreement on April 19, resulted in Armenia ceding control of four villages that were previously part of Soviet Azerbaijan, as well as certain territories of Armenian villages, according to 1970s maps used in the process.
The move, which was criticized by the opposition as a unilateral concession, sparked local protests that escalated and eventually reached Yerevan, culminating in clashes between riot police and protesters outside the Armenian parliament on June 12.
