Dear compatriots, dear people. Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's address

Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan addressed the nation on the occasion of Constitution Day. In his message, he stated: "Dear compatriots, dear people, Today we celebrate Constitution Day in the Republic of Armenia, and I congratulate us all on this occasion. The unchangeable articles of our Constitution articulate the national-state vision of the Republic of Armenia. Accordingly, the Republic of Armenia is a sovereign, democratic, social, and legal state. Power in the Republic of Armenia belongs to the people. The people exercise their power through free elections, referendums, and also through the state and local self-governing bodies and officials as prescribed by the Constitution.

I proudly note that after the peaceful, velvet, popular revolution of 2018, Armenia has been internationally recognized as a democratic state. The goal of power belonging to the people has been fulfilled, and our greatest challenge is to transform the democracy of the Republic of Armenia into a lasting factor that ensures the security of the country. I must also point out that we have significant work to do to enshrine the other fundamental goals of the Constitution, and the reforms being implemented by our government are aimed precisely at those objectives.

On the occasion of Constitution Day, I would like to emphasize the provisions of Article 3 of the Constitution of Armenia, according to which human dignity is the inalienable basis of his rights and freedoms. I regret to note that democracy and the freedom of speech and expression sometimes lead to hate speech, profanity, and degrading utterances against human dignity. A strong legal order, an independent judiciary, and mechanisms of legality must also become reliable guarantees for the protection of human dignity, without limiting or harming democratic values, and addressing this issue is among our priorities.

Dear compatriots, You are surely aware that the Council of Constitutional Reforms and a professional commission have been established, and by the end of the year, a draft concept of constitutional reforms must be presented. While recognizing that the Constitution always needs to develop and improve, I must emphasize my conviction that Armenia must continue to maintain a parliamentary system of governance, as the events of 2021 demonstrated that this system provides more effective mechanisms for managing crises and involving the public in political debates and decisive participation.

Once again, I congratulate all of us on Constitution Day of the Republic of Armenia. I wish that law and justice become at least a key and decisive factor in regulating our public and civic relations."