Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed to continue their border delimitation process by shifting work from the northern sections to southern border areas, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced, marking incremental progress in efforts to finalize a peace treaty between the longtime adversaries.
The border demarcation work represents one of the few areas where Armenian and Azerbaijani officials have maintained practical cooperation despite broader tensions over a final peace settlement. According to Armenpress, joint commissions will begin surveying and marking southern border sections after completing work on portions of the northern boundary.
The 1,000-kilometer Armenia-Azerbaijan border has remained poorly defined since the Soviet collapse, with no internationally recognized demarcation in many areas. The issue gained urgency following Azerbaijan's 2020 and 2023 military victories, which altered the territorial status quo and brought Azerbaijani forces into direct contact with Armenia proper along previously buffer zones.
Border delimitation differs from demarcation: delimitation involves the legal definition of the boundary line, typically through bilateral agreements and reference to historical maps, while demarcation is the physical marking of that line on the ground through pillars, fences, or other markers. The current process addresses both aspects, with commissions working to identify the Soviet-era administrative boundary that both sides have agreed should form the basis for the international border.
In the Caucasus, as across mountainous borderlands, ancient identities and modern geopolitics create intricate patterns of conflict and cooperation. Border delimitation becomes not merely a technical exercise but a test of whether former adversaries can cooperate on practical issues even while fundamental disagreements remain unresolved.
The progress comes despite continuing obstacles to a comprehensive peace treaty. Azerbaijan has demanded that Armenia recognize Azerbaijani sovereignty over all of Nagorno-Karabakh and renounce territorial claims, while Armenia seeks security guarantees and rights for displaced Karabakh Armenians. Both sides have accused each other of border violations and maintaining threatening military postures.
International mediators including the European Union have facilitated border discussions, viewing practical cooperation as a foundation for broader normalization. EU observers deployed along sections of the Armenian-Azerbaijani border in 2022 have helped reduce incidents and build confidence, though their mandate remains limited and contested by Azerbaijan, which views them as biased toward Armenia.
The shift to southern sections may prove more contentious than northern areas, as the southern border region includes sensitive areas near Iran and involves disputed historical territorial arrangements. Nevertheless, both governments have indicated willingness to continue the technical work even as political negotiations over a final peace treaty remain stalemated.
