For two week now, the lives of our sisters and brothers living in Armenia’s Tavush Province have been upended due to the unilateral decision by Armenia’s authorities to cede four villages to Azerbaijan, under the ploy to advance the delimitation of borders between the two countries.
Despite hearing the legitimate concerns of Tavush residents, who rightfully are fearing for their lives as Azerbaijani border guards will inch closer to their homes and other civilian structures, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, nevertheless, decided not only to delimit the border but begin the demarcation process.
The residents of Tavush and other border provinces are currently staging protests, camping out along the border to prevent further incursions into their territory.
During the meeting of the commission, which took this border delimitation decision, Azerbaijan did not cede the lands it is occupying within the sovereign territory of Armenia, nor was there any discussion about next steps.
In fact, mere days after this flawed decision, President Ilham Aliyev of Azerbaijan demanded the “return” of more territories in Armenia, including settlements in the Gegharkunik, Syunik and Vayots Dzor provinces.
This unilateral step by Armenia’s current authorities creates a dangerous precedent for future such border delimitation processes and poses a grave threat to Armenia’s territorial and national security. No head of government has the right to cede any territory without due process, which usually involves approval not only by the legislature, but also the country’s supreme judiciary authority, in this case Armenia’s Constitutional Court.
The Armenian Revolutionary Federation Western U.S. Central Committee expresses its complete solidarity with our brethren in the border regions of Armenia and their just struggle to protect their land, lives and our homeland. We also declare that not one inch of territory should be ceded without due process and in accordance with international norms and laws.
We also urge Armenia’s authorities to not gamble with Armenia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, because our enemies will not rest. This means that official Baku will do its utmost to secure the so-called land “corridor” to Nakhichevan and lay claim to more territories in Armenia.
ARF Western U.S. Central Committee
May 2, 2024
