We have never discussed and are not discussing our Constitution with Azerbaijan: Pashinyan

We have never discussed and are not discussing our Constitution with Azerbaijan, because we consider it our internal matter. This was stated by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan during a conversation with journalists in Hamburg, responding to a question regarding Azerbaijan's demands to change the Republic's Constitution.

According to Nikol Pashinyan, Armenia has no conditions for signing the peace agreement. “I am asking a simple question. I want to understand, does Azerbaijan want territorial claims included in our Constitution, or do they genuinely believe that there are territorial claims in our Constitution? If they genuinely believe there is a problem there, the quickest way to solve that problem is to sign the peace agreement. Why? Because once the peace agreement is signed, in accordance with our legislation, we are obliged to send it to the Constitutional Court to verify its compliance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia,” the Prime Minister stated.

Pashinyan explained that there are two options. “Either the Constitutional Court decides that the agreement is in accordance with the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia. In that case, we have no obstacles to sending it to the National Assembly for ratification. When the agreement is ratified in the National Assembly, according to the fifth point of our Constitution, if I recall correctly, in case of contradictions between ratified international agreements and our internal legislation, the international agreement has a higher legal significance. Once that agreement obtains higher legal significance, Armenia would not even be able to have territorial claims against Azerbaijan, even if it wanted to. Why? Because the first article of that agreement, which is already a public document, states that based on the fact that the administrative borders of the Soviet republics have become state borders, the parties recognize each other’s territorial integrity, sovereignty, and political independence. The second article states that on that basis, the parties do not have territorial claims against each other and undertake not to present territorial claims in the future. Another article states that the parties cannot invoke their internal legislation as an excuse for failing to implement that agreement.

Therefore, once this agreement is ratified, Armenia, even if it wanted to, would not be able to have territorial claims against Azerbaijan; that is the first option. The second option is if the agreement is determined to be inconsistent with our Constitution. I have said that if that happens, I myself will initiate constitutional changes, because I believe that the peace achieved is such a value that it deserves daily care, and it is worth pursuing that change. However, today I do not have the legitimacy to tell the people of Armenia, ‘You know, let’s change the Constitution.’