Border delimitation strengthens Armenian sovereignty, reduces vulnerability, deputy PM says

By Alexander Pracht

Armenia is reinforcing its sovereignty and minimizing security risks through the ongoing border delimitation process with Azerbaijan, the country’s Deputy Prime Minister Mher Grigoryan told reporters on Wednesday.

“By carrying out delimitation, we are strengthening our sovereignty and reducing our vulnerability,” Grigoryan said, adding that the process is of strategic importance for national security.

According to the deputy prime minister, the delimitation will extend from the northern tri-border point with Georgia to the southern junction with Iran. Grigoryan expressed hope that the process would proceed in line with the adopted regulations and said he does not believe that vital infrastructure will be jeopardized as a result of the changes.

Speaking about the bilateral commissions overseeing the process, Grigoryan said there are no major developments to report at this stage and no date has yet been set for the next meeting. He added, however, “I don’t think the work of the commissions is at a stalemate.”

The most recent meeting of the Armenian and Azerbaijani border commissions took place on January 16, co-chaired by Grigoryan and his Azerbaijani counterpart Shahin Mustafayev. This was when the two sides agreed to begin complex delimitation work from the northernmost section of the border and proceed southward toward the Iranian border.

Last October, Armenia’s National Assembly ratified the regulation governing the joint work of the commissions. The document had been signed by the two sides and was later approved by the Armenian government. Armenia’s Constitutional Court ruled the regulation compliant with the country’s constitution a month prior.

Why is border delimitation such an important issue?

Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the actual on-the-ground borders between former Soviet republics remained vague, as there had been no internal borders during Soviet times. For years, Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan remained a secondary issue, as Yerevan controlled large swaths of territory beyond its internationally recognized borders. 

This changed dramatically after the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh ceasefire, when Armenian forces withdrew from areas they had held for decades, bringing the question of border delimitation to the forefront. Since then, the frontier has been a source of recurring tensions, including cross-border shootouts and Azerbaijani troop incursions into Armenia’s sovereign territory.

In April 2024, Armenia and Azerbaijan began formally delimiting their border, agreeing to use old Soviet maps as a basis. However, the only progress made so far concerns a 12-kilometer stretch separating Armenia’s Tavush region from Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district. Under this agreement, Armenia pulled its forces out of four long-abandoned Azerbaijani villages, while Azerbaijan handed over a smaller adjacent area. 

The move sparked weeks of protests across Armenia, with demonstrators accusing the government of making unilateral concessions. Delimitation is also logistically challenging, as in several areas key Armenian highways run exactly along or briefly cross into Azerbaijani territory, raising concerns about potential disruptions to local infrastructure and transport.