Pashinyan urges not to overestimate importance of enclaves` issue 

ArmInfo.The importance of this issue should not be overestimated, RA Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan  stated at a meeting with the Armenian community of Moldova, touching upon the prospect of an exchange of so-called enclaves.

According to Pashinyan, in the encyclopedias of the Soviet Union,  published in different years, the territory of Armenia is fixed at an  area of 29.8 thousand square kilometers. In this perspective, it is  not so important what year the map of the delimitation of the  Armenian-Azerbaijani border will be based on - 1975 or, for example,  1969, It is the process of the delimitation that is important. Based  on this, it is advisable to be guided by the maps approved by the  General Staff of the Soviet Union from 1975, since it is assumed that  this is the last map approved in this format before the Alma-Ata  Declaration until 1991, Pashinyan notes.  Touching upon the enclaves,  the Prime Minister noted that the issue has both political and legal  aspects.  The 29.8 thousand square kilometers of the territory of  Armenia also include Artsvashen, the territories of the village of  Berkaber in the Tavush region, which have been under the control of  Azerbaijanis since the early 1990s, as well as Paravakar, Aygehovit,  Vazashen, the territories of the Sotk-Khoznavar section, which were  occupied during the last aggression. Azerbaijan, for its part, notes  that according to the maps of the USSR there are territories that are  Azerbaijani, but since 1990s have been under the control of the RA.   For our part, we say, okay, then let's take the border line of 1975  as a basis and mutually adhere to it, the "mirror" withdrawal of our  troops. We also propose the establishment of a delimitated zone along  the entire border line. We are ready to come to an agreement on this  basis. I can't say that we now have something final, but we express  our readiness>, he said.

According to him, when Baku talks about its villages, Yerevan in turn  reminds about its villages. <We say, well, we also have villages, we  are ready to exchange them, are you ready, if so, then let's change  right now. It's not like we spend all day daydreaming about what to  give away. But on the other hand, we in no way belittle the interests  of the RA, on the contrary. 70% of the arable land in the village of  Paravakar is under the control of Azerbaijanis, the inhabitants of  this village do not have the opportunity to develop. We must continue  on this path so as not to give Azerbaijan a reason to legitimize its  aggressive policy, but at the same time we must be sincere so as not  to mislead the international community or others every time.  The  good news for me is that I say the same thing in all places, be it at  the negotiating table, in Yerevan, indoors, in public, this is a very  important advantage >, Nikol Pashinyan said.  .  At the same time,  responding to the concern of those present due to the fact that the  village of Tigranashen in the Ararat region may pass to Azerbaijan,  as a result of which there may be a problem with the road from  Yerevan to Vayots Dzor and beyond, Pashinyan replied that "if we  assume, proceed from the preliminary version that there was Karki  (Azerbaijani name - ed.), it is not a fact that Azerbaijan wants to  return Artsvashen (under the control of Azerbaijan - ed.) and get,  for example, Karki>.  According to him, even if this is the case,  then the importance of this issue should not be overestimated, since  this cannot cause unsolvable problems. < There is no such issue. If  the road cannot pass this way, it can pass the other way. There is no  problem>, Pashinyan said, stating that the issue is mainly used for  psychological pressure on the citizens of the Republic of Armenia.

Earlier on May 24, during the government hour in parliament,  commenting on his own statement of May 22 that the territory of  Azerbaijan with an area of 86.6 thousand square km also includes the  so-called enclaves, Pashinyan said that the issue with the enclaves  has not yet been resolved.  It should be noted that Azerbaijani  enclaves in Armenia are located in Tavush and Ararat regions. These  are the villages of Baganis-Ayrum, Nerkin Voskepar (Ashagi Askipara)  and Verin Voskepar (Yukhari Askipara), Barkhudarly, Sofulu, and  Tigranashen (Kyarki). These settlements passed to Armenia as a result  of the war in the 1990s, during the first Karabakh war. The village  of Artsvashen, in turn, came under the control of Baku.