On December 24 in the Debate debate club, deputy of the My Step NA faction Hovik Aghazaryan asked two questions to the chairman of the Modus Vivendi NGO Ara Papyan: Is he against starting delimitation and demarcation now? If so, when does he consider it a good time and second? Did he understand correctly from Papyan’s speech that it is better to keep the borders with Turkey closed?
“Yes, it is better to keep our borders with Turkey closed, because it will not help us in any way. First, the borders are not closed. We have 3 million exports and 300 million imports with Turkey. This could not happen if the borders were closed. They simply use the Gyumri-Akhaltsikhe-Turkey road instead of the Gyumri-Kars road. It is just a change of direction, which takes the car 7-8 hours longer and adds $100 to the total 20 tons of product. It’s nothing. I do not know who invented that tale. I think the issue of opening the borders is not for Turkey, which is a derivative, but for Azerbaijan. Because Russia has to export two important things from Armenia: raw materials of molybdenum, copper, gold, which is in Syunik, and the accumulated non-metallic waste of our nuclear power plant, which are very profitable and can have different uses. It is impossible to export without railways. As for delimitation and demarcation, it is clear that it must happen with the neighbor. But the legal basis, the documents on the basis of which it must take place must be clarified. I repeat, the Soviet administrative border can not be a basis for interstate delimitation.
These are purely administrative borders created by the occupier. We must understand one thing: the Republic of Armenia is legally occupied, it is enshrined in many international documents, including the document adopted in the United States in the 1950s, which states that Armenia has been occupied since 1920. Azerbaijan itself declared on October 18, 1991, that the Soviet Union occupied the region. It renounced its Soviet legal and political heritage and restored its statehood. Therefore, we must come to the pre-Soviet period and see what the border was between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, or at least what documents and principles were adopted. Because there is controversy and misunderstanding of what civilized countries do. Let Armenia and Azerbaijan jointly apply to the UN Court, let each party submit the documents that it considers as a basis for delimitation and demarcation. And let the court decide on which document the border should be demarcated. It will be a mandatory document for implementation,” Ara Papyan answered.
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Hovik Aghazaryan did not deny the opposition’s substantiation, but emphasized that the sooner demarcation and delimitation would be done, the better it will be “Because it is a long process. Therefore, when it starts, it is another step towards lasting peace,” he said. Aravot asked the speakers what could be the real reason for the current government to be in such a hurry.
Hovik Aghazaryan answered that what he said did not mean that they were in a hurry. “I say the sooner it starts, the better.” And Ara Papyan said, “I think this case is based on the misconception that delimited and demarcated borders can protect a country from external invasion. When Turkey invaded Syria, the borders were delimited and demarcated. Turkey invaded Iraq with delimited and demarcated borders. In other words, it will not do anything, it is a purely legal action that says this is mine and this is yours. Ninety percent of all wars in the world have been delimited and demarcated. When Adolf Hitler invaded the Soviet Union, wasn’t the border demarcated? When Saddam Hussein invaded Iraq, wasn’t the border demarcated? And vice versa: the Russian-Japanese border, which is not delimited yet. Moreover, no peace treaty has been signed. But that does not stop them from living in peace, establishing diplomatic relations, and having close relations.”
Ashot HAKOBYAN
