Two years have passed since the return of the villages of Baghanis Ayrim, Ashagi Askipara, Kheyrimli, and Gizilhajili in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district.

Axar.az reports that, in accordance with the instructions of President of the Republic of Azerbaijan and Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev, a protocol was signed on April 19, 2024, during the 8th meeting of the State Commission on the Delimitation of the State Border between the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Republic of Armenia, and the Commission on Border Delimitation and Border Security Issues between the Republic of Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan, in order to ensure the liberation of the villages of Baghanis Ayrim, Ashagi Askipara, Kheyrimli, and Gizilhajili in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district from occupation.

To implement the protocol, clarifications were carried out based on geodetic measurements along the border coordinates, and a Technical Protocol reflecting the results of the joint fieldwork and the description of the relevant border line was prepared.

On May 15, 2024, the next, ninth meeting of the commissions was held on the Azerbaijan-Armenia border, where the Technical Protocol was agreed upon and the relevant protocol was signed.

As a result of the delimitation process, a 12.7-kilometer section of the border was determined, ensuring the return of the territories of the four villages of Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district — Baghanis Ayrim, Ashagi Askipara, Kheyrimli, and Gizilhajili — with a total area of 6.5 square kilometers.

On May 24, 2024, the territories of the villages of Baghanis Ayrim, Ashagi Askipara, Kheyrimli, and Gizilhajili in Azerbaijan’s Gazakh district were taken under the control of the State Border Service of the Republic of Azerbaijan.