Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan today met with a delegation headed by Artsakh President Arayik Harutyunyan that’s in Yerevan for clarification on recent statements that the governments of Armenia and Azerbaijan have reaffirmed their commitments to recognize each other’s territorial integrity.

The announcement was made in Prague on October 6 following a meeting between the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan, French President Emmanuel Macron and EU Council President Charles Michel.

Armenian PM Nikol Pashinyan has recently suggested that the Armenian authorities in Artsakh must negotiate directly with Baku regarding Karabakh’s future status.

Khachaturyan, according to his office, told Harutyunyan that Yerevan can never sign any document behind the back of Stepanakert and that the Artsakh issue remains on the agenda of the Armenian government.

Accompanying Harutyunyan is Artsakh Foreign Minister Davit Babayan, who discussed the matter today with Armenian National Assembly Speaker Alen Simonyan, a Pashinyan ally.

Babayan told reporters afterwards that any peace deal must specify that such mutual border recognition doesn’t apply to Karabakh.

“We must make it clear that Artsakh will never be a part of Azerbaijan,” Babayan said.

Simonyan pushed back, arguing that such a condition in the peace treaty could give Baku ammunition to make similar demands from Armenia.

“Besides, Armenia has never had territorial claims to Azerbaijan, and an emphasis on territories would complicate and possibly even thwart the signing of the treaty.”