Draft of Armenia’s New Constitution Expected to Be Published by Year’s End

YEREVAN — The draft of Armenia’s new Constitution is expected to be published by the end of 2026, following the completion of discussions with relevant stakeholders, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan said during a government question-and-answer session in the National Assembly.

Galyan also stressed that a document recently circulated online was never a working or draft version prepared by the Ministry of Justice.

“First, I want to say that the text that was published has nothing to do with the text developed by the Ministry of Justice and has never been a working or draft version at any stage,” Galyan said. She added that a document containing such provisions had never been considered as part of the constitutional drafting process.

According to the minister, the actual draft of the new Constitution is expected to be made public by the end of 2026.

“As for publication of the actual draft, we expect that after concluding discussions with our partners, the text will be published by the end of the year,” she said.

Galyan said opposition parties also have an opportunity to participate in discussions on the Constitution, including before the full draft is released.

“We are open and prepared, even before publication of the text, to discuss provisions that have been or will be considered by the Constitutional Reform Council,” she said, noting that the opposition has seats on the council.

Following publication of the draft, the government plans to begin a broad process of public communication and consultation.

“We will collect the opinions of all interested bodies and individuals, discuss them and consider in what direction the text of the Constitution should or should not be amended,” Galyan said.

The justice minister emphasized that the document released to the public will not be the final version.

“The text that will be published will not be a final text. It will be a draft that will go through the appropriate stages of circulation,” she said, adding that the government would remain open to discussing the document and working with opposition representatives during that process.

On September 8, a document circulated online that some users presented as a draft of Armenia’s new Constitution. The Ministry of Justice denied the claim the same day, stating that the document was not the draft of the new Constitution and that information suggesting otherwise was false.