The issue of enclaves and exclaves between Armenia and Azerbaijan does not constitute an obstacle to signing the initialled peace agreement, Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan has stated.
Speaking at a press briefing, Mirzoyan described the matter as sensitive but emphasised that it was not among the conditions publicly raised by Azerbaijan for signing the peace treaty.
"This is a sensitive issue," Mirzoyan said, adding that any potential exchange of territories would require approval through a nationwide referendum.
"It is an issue that interests all of us, and if there is an exchange of territories, this is an issue that must be put to a nationwide referendum," he stated.
The Armenian foreign minister acknowledged that the existence of enclaves and exclaves creates practical difficulties for neighbouring countries, regardless of the state of their bilateral relations.
"Enclaves and exclaves, even if relations are excellent in every respect, complicate the lives of countries, at least from a technical standpoint," Mirzoyan noted.
Referring to Azerbaijan's position on the peace agreement, he argued that Baku had raised constitutional amendments in Armenia as a condition for signing the document, but had not made the resolution of the enclave issue a prerequisite.
"You know Azerbaijan's rhetoric. They say, 'We will not sign the peace agreement until you change the Constitution.' They haven't said, have they, that they will not sign until the issue of the enclaves is resolved?" Mirzoyan said.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had previously indicated that exchanging enclaves and exclaves was among the options being considered during negotiations with Azerbaijan.
Separately, Armenian official Alen Simonyan addressed the issue during a conversation with journalists on October 16, confirming that no agreement had yet been reached.
According to Simonyan, discussions have included the possibility of exchanging Tigranashen, known in Azerbaijan as Karki, for Artsvashen, known in Azerbaijan as Bashkend.
"There are no agreements on enclaves and exclaves," he said, explaining that a potential exchange was being discussed within the framework of maintaining Armenia's territorial area.
Simonyan also noted that Artsvashen is slightly smaller than the combined area of the three Soviet-era Azerbaijani enclaves currently located within Armenia.
He nevertheless insisted that no Armenian territory had been or would be surrendered.
The statements indicate that while the enclave issue remains part of the bilateral discussions, Armenian officials do not regard its resolution as a necessary condition for signing the initialled peace agreement.