Pashinyan: enclave exchanges are an option in Armenia–Azerbaijan talks
Pashinyan says talks consider territorial swaps to eliminate enclaves; legal framework and referendums still to be determined.
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has confirmed that exchanging enclaves and exclaves with Azerbaijan is one of the options being discussed as part of ongoing peace talks between the two countries.
Speaking on 15 October 2026, Pashinyan said negotiators are seeking solutions that would eliminate enclaves or exclaves along the border and reduce daily difficulties for local populations. "There are several options to resolve the issue of enclaves and exclaves. The idea is to find a solution where no enclaves or exclaves would exist on either side of the border," Pashinyan said.
Delimitation, precise mapping and possible referendums
Pashinyan warned that technical and legal details must still be worked out, including whether referendums would be required for any territorial swaps. "First, the border delimitation must be carried out and the territories precisely defined. We need to know the exact area of Artsvashen to find the right solution," he said.
He added that awareness is growing in both Armenia and Azerbaijan that a durable solution is necessary, and that without it residents of affected villages would face many practical problems, for example when crossing the border.
A day earlier, during a live social-media broadcast, Pashinyan said that under the envisaged peace agreement Armenia's territory should total 29,743 square kilometres, and that the two countries should exchange territories of equal area — a conclusion he said followed recent contacts with Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in Turkmenistan.
Ararat Mirzoyan, Armenia's foreign minister, said that ceding any part of internationally recognised Armenian territory in exchange for other land would require a referendum and described Azerbaijan's approach to the matter as constructive.
Since Soviet times there have been a number of territorial anomalies in the area: three territories located within Armenia formally belong to Azerbaijan (two in Tavush province and Karki in Ararat province), while the Armenian enclave Artsvashen lies inside Azerbaijan and has been under Azerbaijani control since August 1992.
Photo: press material from the event
