BREAKING: Nikol Pashinyan said Armenia’s new constitution should not include a reference to the country’s Declaration of Independence, a position critics say aligns with a long-standing demand from Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
Armenia’s current constitution references the 1990 Declaration of Independence in its preamble. The document affirms Armenia’s sovereignty following the collapse of the Soviet Union and includes references to the Armenian people’s right to self-determination and the 1989 decision on the reunification of Artsakh with Armenia.
Speaking at a briefing, Pashinyan argued that the declaration reflects what he described as a “logic of conflict” that Armenia must abandon in order to build its future statehood.
“Let me explain why. The Declaration of Independence is built on the logic of conflict. We cannot move forward with a logic of conflict and build an independent state,” he said.
Aliyev has repeatedly demanded that Armenia amend its constitution, arguing that references connected to the declaration imply territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani officials have cited the issue as a key obstacle to a peace agreement between the two countries.
Pashinyan has increasingly signaled support for drafting a new constitution, framing it as part of redefining Armenia’s statehood after the 2020 war and the 2023 Azerbaijani occupation of Artsakh.
Critics argue that removing the reference to the Declaration of Independence would weaken one of the foundational documents of Armenia’s modern statehood and could signal a major political concession under external pressure.
