T aking the chance that the state border between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan is not specified, several groups of Azerbaijani servicemen penetrated into the sovereign territory of Armenia and tried to strengthen in the Lake Sev (Black) territory of Ishkhanasar on May 12. They allegedly substantiated their progress with a map of the Soviet Unit, where the lake was totally included in the territory of Azerbaijan.    

The maps of the various times, including the Soviet General Staff Map, however, clearly states that the Lake Sev, except for the small northern part, is completely in the territory of Armenia.

Soviet General Staff Map

To avoid further clashes and escalation of the situation, the Armenian side decided to resolve the issue through negotiations. On May 16, the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia released maps approved in 1929, which clearly shows how the demarcation of Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan was carried out.

The demarcation was carried out by the Central Executive Committee of the Transcaucasian Socialist Federative Soviet Republic and besides the map there are all relevant protocols. 

Picture 1

Furtherly, demarcation documents and protocols were reaffirmed in 1969 and in 1970. There are also the signatures of Galstyan and Shukurova, Secretaries of the Presidencies of the Supreme Councils of Soviet Armenia and Soviet Azerbaijan on the original map. The Armenian side signed the document on November 11, 1969 and the Azerbaijani side on February 4, 1970.

Picture 2

There are also maps of 1973 and 1975, where no border changes were made in the Lake Sev territory.  

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The Azerbaijani side substantiated his territorial ambitions with a false map, which has no legal basis and according to which the Lake Sev is allegedly in the territory of Azerbaijan.

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It is noteworthy, that the samples of maps fixed by the relevant procedures of 1969 and 1970 are also in Azerbaijan, which is clearly seen with the relevant mark on the edge of the map.

Picture 5