The head of Armenia’s National Security Council Armen Grigoryan told reporters on Thursday that Armenia is ready to begin the demarcation and delimitation of its borders with Azerbaijan, as outlined in the November 9 agreement, adding that Baku is refusing to commit to the process.
“One of the important approaches is for the simultaneous withdrawal of the Armenian and Azerbaijani troops from the border, followed by the deployment of border guards in the territories, after which the process of delimitation and demarcation can begin,” explained Grigoryan.
“We have announced that we are ready to start the process of demarcation and delimitation; we are waiting for a positive signal from Azerbaijan in that regard,” Grigoryan said, adding that Azerbaijan expressed its readiness last month at the United Nations General Assembly.
“It seems that they [Azerbaijan] made such a statement at the UN in September, but we are unable to move forward. I will find it difficult to say why Azerbaijan is not starting the process of demarcation and delimitation,” Grigoryan added.
A working group comprised of the deputy prime ministers of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia has been tasked to devise the process in question. The group met earlier this month in Moscow.
Grigoryan explained that the first process of demarcating and delimiting the borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan began in 1926 and 1927 and concluded in 1929. All maps that were drawn in subsequent years were based on that initial process.
The national security chief said that the working group has discussed the maps, as well as the a process of unblocking the transpiration links. Grigoryan said, however, that never has the issue of a corridor connecting Azerbaijan to Nakhichevan has been discussed.
Moscow said that the working group is the “optimal format for negotiations to unblock transport links in the South Caucasus,” according to Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova.
“We believe it is important to stay true to the statements and the actions that will help implement the trilateral agreements over the unblocking of economic and transport links in the South Caucasus,” Zakharova added, presumably referencing Baku’s demands for the creation of a so-called “Zangezur corridor.”
