Day: January 17, 2025

Azerbaijan and Armenia have agreed to commence the next stage of delimitation work up to the Iranian border.

This agreement was reached during the meeting of the state border delimitation and security commissions of the two countries, chaired by Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister Shahin Mustafayev and his Armenian counterpart, Mher Grigoryan, on January 16.

“… A consensus was achieved to begin comprehensive work from the northern region, specifically from the tri-junction area of the borders of Azerbaijan, Armenia, and Georgia, moving southwards to the Iranian border. Additionally, the parties discussed draft instructions on the procedures for carrying out delimitation work,” reported AZERTAC.

The commissions have already made noticeable progress. In May 2023, a 12.7-kilometer section of the border was delineated, enabling the return of four villages in Gazakh District—Baganis Ayrim, Ashaghi Askipara, Kheyrimli, and Gizilhajili—under Azerbaijan’s control.

According to the agreement between the state commissions, the delimitation process is based on the Alma-Ata Declaration signed in 1991.

Parliamentarian Highlights Milestone Achievements

Hikmet Babaoglu, a member of Azerbaijan’s Milli Majlis (National Assembly) Committee on Defense, Security, and Anti-Corruption, told Turan that the commissions’ regulations were formalized and signed: “This is the first document and coordinated action plan signed between Armenia and Azerbaijan. This alone is a significant development.”

Babaoglu emphasized the importance of evaluating the commissions’ activities within the context of tangible results: “It is known that 15 out of the 17 articles of the peace agreement have been agreed upon, but there is no finalized text. However, the commission’s charter is a fully agreed-upon document. Concrete actions have already been implemented based on this charter, turning the once-provisional borders into demarcated ones in some sensitive and complex areas.”

The parliamentarian noted that the January 16 meeting marked the beginning of the next phase of more intensive actions: “This is a new stage. The direction has been set from the tri-junction of the three Caucasus countries’ borders, progressing southwards to the Iranian border.”

He further explained that the process extends beyond technicalities: “The geography of conditional borders between Azerbaijan and Armenia starts at the least disputed area—the junction of Georgia, Azerbaijan, and Armenia. However, as the process advances southward, particularly into the Kelbajar and Zangezur regions, it will enter a more complex phase. Before these commissions can proceed with delimitation and demarcation, there must be prior diplomatic and political agreements on certain points and maps.”

According to Babaoglu, the pace and scope of the delimitation process will directly influence the proximity of the two countries to peace.

Political Analyst Sees Link Between Delimitation and Peace

Political commentator Nasimi Mammadli told Azadliq Radio that the commissions’ work depends on the political will of the heads of state: “Commissions carry out technical tasks. If state leaders agree on an issue, the commissions execute it. It appears that constructive agreements between the heads of Azerbaijan and Armenia are positively influencing the commissions’ work.”

Regarding the impact of the commissions’ activities on the peace treaty, Mammadli sees the processes as interconnected: “Progress in border delimitation and demarcation positively affects the peace process. There are no longer significant unresolved issues between the states. Azerbaijan has liberated its territories, and we haven’t seen any principled objections from the Armenian government on these matters. Even the ‘Zangezur Corridor’ issue has been removed from the peace agenda. Therefore, these interactions are accelerating the peace process.”

Delimitation and Demarcation: The Technical Process

Delimitation generally involves large-scale maps that detail topography, hydrography, and settlements. Once this process concludes, a treaty is signed regarding the state border line.

Demarcation is the second stage of defining state borders, involving the physical marking of boundaries on the ground.4o