News - Pashinyan: 29,800 sq. km. is rounded number, actual area of Armenia is little smaller

Let me not open too many parentheses about what happened at the negotiating table because it is not the case that the atmosphere in the negotiation room is very positive and the comments can reduce the existing potential or the positive potential. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan stated this at his press conference today. "Let me talk about an episode of the past period, which concerns the 29,800 square kilometers [of Armenia]. When it was discussed in the negotiations that we should recognize each other's territorial integrity, Azerbaijan declares that it recognizes Armenia's territorial integrity and has no territorial claims. Why does this conversation continue? For one simple reason? The question arose in the negotiation room in Brussels: what does Azerbaijan mean by saying ‘the territorial integrity of Armenia?’ What does Armenia mean by saying ‘the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan?’ It was during this conversation that the conversation developed to the point that perhaps there is objective data, and it is necessary to refer to that data. The concept was generally observable and discussable. We said, ‘Great! But wait a minute, what number?’ Imagine the tension of the situation that the parties have to say, ‘the territory of our country is this much.’ There came an idea that let's then, after we leave [the negotiation room], announce the number that is specified in the latest edition of the Soviet encyclopedias. Those data were transferred to the President of the EU Council, and he publicized those numbers. Then it turned out that the number 29,800 was rounded and there is another number in the text: 29,743 square kilometers. Including the Azerbaijani side drew our attention to the fact that the territory of Armenia is written as less than 29,800 on the websites of the Armenian state bodies. The same applies to Azerbaijan that the number is rounded. It was because of the discussions on the matter of these numbers that certain tensions arose," said the Armenian premier.