Armenia’s Draft Constitution Expected Within Weeks as Azerbaijan Renews Demands for Changes

Armenia’s long-awaited and controversial draft constitution is expected to be finalized within the next one to two weeks, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan announced Tuesday, opening a new phase in a reform process that has become increasingly tied to the country’s domestic politics and efforts to secure a lasting peace with neighboring Azerbaijan.

Speaking to reporters at the National Assembly on June 10, Galyan said the government plans to hold another round of consultations before deciding whether the draft is ready for public release.

“The text is not yet ready for publication because several of our partners have not had enough time to submit their comments,” Galyan said. “We decided not to publish it for now. If we decide to publish it, we will.”

The announcement comes months after Galyan had indicated that the draft would be completed and ready for publication by March.

The constitutional reform process has taken on renewed significance following Armenia’s parliamentary elections on June 7, in which the ruling Civil Contract party secured 49.8% of the vote. While the result allows Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to remain in power, it falls short of the constitutional majority required to unilaterally initiate changes to the country’s foundational legal framework.

Asked whether the ruling party could still move forward with constitutional amendments without such a majority, Galyan noted that the government had launched the reform process even before the elections without holding a constitutional majority in parliament.

She stressed that the authorities intend to pursue a transparent process and involve the public before making any final decisions.

“Our first goal is to begin a discussion with society,” Galyan said. “We need to understand the public response, explain the proposed provisions, make any necessary changes, and only then determine the next steps.”

The debate over constitutional reform extends beyond Armenia’s internal political landscape.

Prime Minister Pashinyan first publicly called for a new constitution in early 2025, though discussions about constitutional reform date back to the period following Armenia’s 2018 Velvet Revolution.

In recent years, Azerbaijan has repeatedly demanded constitutional changes in Armenia as part of the broader peace process between the two countries.

Baku argues that references contained in the preamble of Armenia’s current constitution—through the country’s 1990 Declaration of Independence—amount to territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani officials point specifically to passages referencing the Soviet-era decision on the reunification of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic and the former Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.

Azerbaijan has consistently maintained that constitutional amendments are a prerequisite for the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement.

Following Armenia’s June 7 elections, Azerbaijani officials renewed those calls, once again linking constitutional reform in Armenia to the prospects of a final peace settlement between the two South Caucasus neighbors.

As the draft constitution approaches completion, the document is likely to become one of the most consequential political issues facing Armenia—shaping not only the country’s domestic governance but also its future relations with Azerbaijan and the broader regional security landscape.

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