Azerbaijan’s statements seek to obstruct constitutional reforms in Armenia, warns lawmaker

A senior Armenian lawmaker on Tuesday described the Azeri government’s demands on Armenia changing its constitution to sign a peace treaty as an attempt to obstruct the constitutional reforms in Armenia.

Arman Yeghoyan, the Chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on EU Integration Affairs, was asked to comment on Azeri Deputy FM Elnur Mammadov’s recent statement that Baku is waiting for Armenia to “abandon territorial claims against Azerbaijan” through constitutional changes. 

“I view that statement as an obstruction for constitutional reforms in the Republic of Armenia. Knowing very well what kind of reaction that statement will get in Armenia, the Azerbaijani representatives seek to not allow constitutional reforms to be implemented in Armenia. I assess it that way,” Yeghoyan said at a press conference after the EU-Armenia Parliamentary Partnership Committee meeting.

He emphasized that 15 of the 17 articles in the draft peace treaty have been agreed upon between the two countries, while neither of the outstanding articles pertains to the constitution. 

The accusations that the Armenian constitution contains territorial claims against Azerbaijan has been denied numerous times by Armenian officials.