The border between Armenia and Azerbaijan has nothing to do with the Nagorno-Karabakh (Artsakh) issue, that border exists; and ever since 1991, when the two countries became independent, that border was reaffirmed by the Alma Ata declaration. Maria Karapetyan, an MP from the ruling majority “Civil Contract” Faction of the National Assembly (NA) of Armenia, noted this during Tuesday’s NA press conference of the members of the Armenian delegation to the OSCE PA.

"Just imagine: if Armenia were in another region, the people of Nagorno-Karabakh would go through that process, wouldn't they? The Armenia-Azerbaijan interstate border has nothing to do with the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Armenia has played no role in this conflict for 30 years, not by disputing the territory. This is not a territorial dispute; therefore, the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan, its re-establishment, reference to various documents by which that border is re-established, has nothing to do with the Nagorno-Karabakh problem. Armenia should not get involved in a territorial dispute," Karapetyan said.

According to her, whether during the first Karabakh war in the early 1990s or during the 44-day war of 2020, Azerbaijan attacked Artsakh, and the latter defended itself.

"Since Azerbaijan's point of view is that it is a territorial dispute between our two countries, Azerbaijan also attacks Armenia; but our [i.e., Armenia’s] attitude towards the issue does not change from that. We do not have a position on this conflict by disputing the territory of the neighboring country," she emphasized.

And asked if Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, then in which country’s territory do the Artsakh Armenians live and in which territory should they self-determine, Eduard Aghajanyan, Chair of the NA Standing Committee on Foreign Relations and also a member of the NA “Civil Contract” Faction, responded: “The people of Artsakh should self-determine according to the provisions of international law—based on relevant international rights and laws; it is their right. The essence of the Artsakh issue was, is, and continues to be the issue of the right of peoples, nations to self-determination. We will never get into a territorial dispute."

Also, it was noted that Armenia recognizes the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan, but this does not mean that the issue of self-determination of the people of Nagorno-Karabakh does not exist, and one issue is not directly related to the other.