Armenia's recognition of Azerbaijan, with an area of 86,600 square kilometers, and Azerbaijan's recognition of Armenia, with an area of 29,800 square kilometers, are political statements. Foreign minister Ararat Mirzoyan stated this during Monday’s debates, at the joint session of the National Assembly committees, on the performance of the 2022 state budget of Armenia, answering the question of opposition MP Gegham Manukyan.
Manukyan inquired whether, while establishing diplomatic relations with any other country and recognizing the latter’s territorial integrity, Armenia recognized that country in accordance with its surface area. He stated that the Armenian authorities raise the surface area of territorial integrity of Azerbaijan every day, and he tried to get an explanation from Mirzoyan if any official of Azerbaijan clearly said the phrase "the territory of Armenia is 29,800 square kilometers."
"There is no mention of the surface area in any country's agreement on mutual recognition, establishment of diplomatic relations. I guess because I haven't read them all. In the case of Armenia, the area of 29,800 square kilometers, and in the case of Azerbaijan, 86,600 square kilometers, are political statements. These are about [the fact] that Armenia does not have a territorial claim from Azerbaijan, and Azerbaijan does not have a territorial claim from Armenia with that surface area and those borders that existed for the two socialist republics that were part of the Soviet Union," said Armenian FM.
He emphasized that Manukyan correctly observed that Azerbaijani president of Ilham Aliyev has not publicly said that he recognizes the territorial integrity of Armenia, with an area of 29,800 square kilometers. But the Armenian FM assured that after the statement by the President of the European Council, Charles Michel, through whose mediation a meeting was held and in which Aliyev was also present, there was no public denial.
Mirzoyan expressed hope that the highest authority of Azerbaijan will publicly recognize the territorial integrity of Armenia in the near future.
