YEREVAN — Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has emphasized that the issue of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia is a domestic matter and part of the country’s internal agenda.
Speaking at a press conference on August 31, Pashinyan stated, “The Constitution should be about the essence and nature of the state based on an agreement reached between the citizens of Armenia.” He noted that the Constitution should be adopted by citizens through a free, fair, and independent vote.
Pashinyan also highlighted the existence of territorial claims against Armenia within the Constitution of Azerbaijan.
“We are not raising the issue of amending the Azerbaijani Constitution because the [projected] peace treaty includes a provision that neither side can refer to its internal legislation,” Pashinyan said.
“The Constitution of Azerbaijan refers to the 1991 Act of State Independence. This act mentions the Declaration of Independence of Azerbaijan from May 28, 1918. Moreover, the Act of Independence states that today’s Azerbaijan is the successor of an Azerbaijani state from 1918-1920. In the 1918-1920 Declaration, it is stated that the territories of Azerbaijan include the Southern and Eastern Transcaucasia. On a map presented by the Entente, Azerbaijan claimed full ownership of today’s Syunik and Vayots Dzor regions and partial claims on the Tavush, Gegharkunik, Ararat, Lori, and Shirak regions. So, unlike the Constitution of Armenia, the Constitution of Azerbaijan contains territorial claims against Armenia,” Pashinyan explained.
The Prime Minister noted that this issue is a concern for the Armenian side. “To address this problem, we are not asking Azerbaijan to change its Constitution. Instead, we emphasize that there is already an agreed article in the peace treaty, which, if signed, will resolve this issue. It ensures that neither side will refer to its internal legislation. The rest is history, and it cannot be erased,” Pashinyan added.
Pashinyan Supports Bilateral Negotiations with Azerbaijan
Pashinyan expressed his support for a bilateral format of negotiations with Azerbaijan to normalize relations between the two countries during a press conference on Saturday.
“Armenia values the assistance of all its partners in the peace process with Azerbaijan… For a long time now, work with Azerbaijan has been conducted in a bilateral format, and we can say that there has been noticeable activity in this regard since the joint statement in December 2023 and up to the statement of April 19, 2024,” Pashinyan said.
The Prime Minister also announced that an agreement on the joint activities of the Armenian and Azerbaijani border delimitation commissions was signed on Friday.
“We believe it is important to focus on this issue because the general understanding was that at this stage, we are working in a bilateral format, and since we are making progress in this format, I consider it the right approach,” Pashinyan said.
He added that he communicated this directly and openly to Vladimir Putin during their last phone conversation. However, he noted that bilateral work does not exclude other formats, emphasizing the need to consider each specific issue within its own context.
Pashinyan also addressed claims that Armenia turned down a meeting with Azerbaijan at the European summit in London. “Armenia did not turn down the meeting. I personally suggested to the President of Azerbaijan, not directly, but through diplomatic channels, that a bilateral meeting take place,” the Prime Minister clarified.
He mentioned the possibility of a high-level Armenian-Azerbaijani meeting, potentially at the border where the two countries’ commissions usually meet.
Prisoners and Return to Artsakh
Pashinyan has expressed deep concern over the issue of prisoners, detainees, and hostages being held by Azerbaijan, emphasizing that it remains a significant concern for Armenia.
“This issue worries us greatly. We are working on it daily, although much of this work is not visible, and that is its nature,” Pashinyan said during the press conference.
He highlighted that the issue is one of the key provisions of the trilateral statements by the leaders of Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Russia, which address the return of prisoners, detainees, and hostages.
“In many cases, when our Russian colleagues refer to the trilateral statement, it pains me to see that they essentially overlook the issue of returning prisoners, detainees, and hostages. If the trilateral statements are the foundation and we want to give them importance, we should read them from the first point and see who was supposed to do what and who hasn’t fulfilled their obligations,” Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan also expressed skepticism about the possibility of Armenian refugees returning to Artsakh under the conditions proposed by the Armenian opposition, particularly by representatives of the former authorities of Nagorno-Karabakh and Armenia.
“The Armenian government did not sign the decision to dissolve Nagorno-Karabakh. On the contrary, before this decision was made, there was a change of power in Nagorno-Karabakh, which was facilitated by certain circles in Armenia known to all of us, and this was welcomed,” Pashinyan stated during a press conference on Saturday.
The Prime Minister noted that he had been accused of obstructing the departure of Armenians from Nagorno-Karabakh and is now being criticized for allegedly hindering their return.
Armenia Undecided on Participation in COP29 Summit in Azerbaijan
Pashinyan stated that Armenia has not yet decided whether to participate in the upcoming UN Climate Change Conference (COP29) scheduled to be held in Baku.
Speaking at the press conference on Saturday, Pashinyan emphasized that the decision will be made considering the overall situation and atmosphere at the time.
“We have not made a decision on this matter yet. The general situation, ongoing processes, and the atmosphere cannot but influence our decision,” Pashinyan said.
He noted that, in theory, any decision is possible, and a final judgment will be made after carefully evaluating the circumstances at the appropriate time.
