Armenian FM calls for nationwide debate on proposed new Constitution

Armenia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Ararat Mirzoyan has stressed the importance of holding substantive discussions on the proposed new Constitution in the near future, proposing that the conversation take place on a nationwide scale and emphasizing that the government is not avoiding debate.

“I very much hope, and I think this is the approach and commitment of our political team, that we will have meaningful, serious, substantive discussions on this matter in the near future, as soon as possible,” the minister, a senior member of the Civil Contract party, said at a meeting of the parliamentary committee on foreign relations.

He proposed involving a broader range of people in the discussions rather than limiting them to the figures present at the meeting.

“I think there are many more intelligent people in our nation than the number of people present here. Why don’t we have this discussion as a nation? What is the problem? We are not avoiding any debate,” Mirzoyan said.

Mirzoyan emphasized that the Constitution is Armenia’s internal affair and that the issue of amending it is not a subject of negotiations with Azerbaijan.

Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed a peace agreement in Washington on August 8, 2025. Azerbaijan has made changes to Armenia’s Constitution a precondition for signing the agreement, claiming that the reference to the Declaration of Independence in the preamble to Armenia’s Constitution implies territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

The Armenian side has repeatedly rejected Azerbaijan’s claims, stressing that Armenia’s Constitution does not imply territorial claims against any country. 

The Armenian government has expressed readiness to sign the initialed peace treaty with Azerbaijan as soon as possible, saying that doing so would dispel Azerbaijan’s perceived concerns regarding the Armenian Constitution.

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has spoken for years about the need to adopt a new Constitution, dating back to his early years in office. He argues that the current Constitution, last amended in 2015, lacks an “organic link” with the people.

Armenian Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan said in September 2026 that the draft of the new Constitution is expected to be published by the end of the year.

Azerbaijan’s perceived concerns stem from the fact that the current Constitution references the Declaration of Independence in its preamble. The 1990 Declaration of Independence, in turn, mentions Karabakh. However, the Armenian government insists that this does not constitute a territorial claim and that signing the peace treaty, which contains provisions of superior legal force, would dispel those concerns.

The Pashinyan administration has stressed that the constitutional reforms are unrelated to Azerbaijani demands and are entirely a domestic matter.

Pashinyan earlier said that the Declaration of Independence is structured around a logic of conflict.