Pashinyan accepts demand to amend Armenia’s constitution, says Aliyev

YEREVAN, Armenia (MNTV) – Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev indicated that Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has accepted his demand for changes to Armenia’s constitution.

Aliyev reiterated that amending the constitution remains a precondition for signing a long-negotiated Armenian-Azerbaijani peace treaty finalized last year.

“And I think that there is a great deal of, so to speak, mutual understanding between the leadership of Armenia and Azerbaijan about what needs to be done and in what sequence,” Aliyev said during a panel discussion at the annual Munich Security Conference in Germany.

As of Monday evening, the Armenian government had not publicly responded to the remarks.

Baku is specifically seeking the removal of a constitutional preamble referencing Armenia’s 1990 declaration of independence. That declaration cites a 1989 unification act adopted by the legislative bodies of Soviet Armenia and the then–Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.

Azerbaijani officials argue that the reference implies territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

Under Armenian law, removing the preamble would require adopting a new constitution through a national referendum.

Pashinyan and other Armenian officials have maintained that the reference does not constitute territorial claims and insist the issue has not formally been part of peace negotiations with Azerbaijan.

Nevertheless, Pashinyan has pledged to introduce a new constitution that would omit mention of the 1990 declaration. In September, he said the draft would be put to a referendum following Armenia’s next general elections, scheduled for June. Justice Minister Srbuhi Galian has said the new constitution could be drafted by the end of March.

Armenian opposition groups have vowed to block the proposed changes, arguing that Pashinyan’s unilateral concessions risk encouraging further demands from Baku and will not ensure lasting peace.