Khandanyan: Territorial exchange between Armenia and Azerbaijan impossible without a referendum
11.11.2025,
14:34
Territorial exchange between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be carried out without a referendum, stated Sarkis Khandanyan, head of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and a pro-government MP.
YEREVAN, November 11. /ARKA/. Territorial exchange between Armenia and Azerbaijan cannot be carried out without a referendum, stated Sarkis Khandanyan, head of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the National Assembly of the Republic of Armenia and a pro-government MP.
"Armenia and Azerbaijan will have to determine their approaches to the issue of enclaves. If at any stage a decision is made to exchange territories, then according to Armenian law, it cannot be carried out without a referendum," Khandanyan noted at a briefing in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
He also noted that this topic cannot be on the agenda at this stage; the issue of enclaves has been discussed repeatedly and should be resolved exclusively within the framework of the delimitation process of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
"It's unknown when this will happen, since the delimitation process is still ongoing and has its own logic," the MP said.
The MP emphasized that the delimitation process is complex and includes several stages: border delimitation, approval of the relevant protocols, the conclusion and ratification of a state border treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the implementation of work along the border.
Responding to journalists' questions about whether the Azerbaijani side had presented legal justifications for the enclave issue, Khandanyan responded that this aspect is entirely within the purview of the delimitation commissions.
He recalled that the commissions' last meeting took place in September and dealt with the TRIPP project, and the enclave issue will likely be discussed at subsequent meetings.
"Armenia and Azerbaijan will have to determine their approaches to the issue of enclaves. If at any stage a decision is made to exchange territories, then according to Armenian law, it cannot be carried out without a referendum," Khandanyan noted at a briefing in the National Assembly on Tuesday.
He also noted that this topic cannot be on the agenda at this stage; the issue of enclaves has been discussed repeatedly and should be resolved exclusively within the framework of the delimitation process of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border.
"It's unknown when this will happen, since the delimitation process is still ongoing and has its own logic," the MP said.
The MP emphasized that the delimitation process is complex and includes several stages: border delimitation, approval of the relevant protocols, the conclusion and ratification of a state border treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the implementation of work along the border.
Responding to journalists' questions about whether the Azerbaijani side had presented legal justifications for the enclave issue, Khandanyan responded that this aspect is entirely within the purview of the delimitation commissions.
He recalled that the commissions' last meeting took place in September and dealt with the TRIPP project, and the enclave issue will likely be discussed at subsequent meetings.
Previously, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated that the topic of enclaves between Armenia and Azerbaijan "has always been and is" and that the Armenian side "cannot abandon this issue on its own because we have Artsvashen" (Armenian enclave within Azerbaijan). According to him, it is necessary to determine what is de jure justified and what is not.-0-
