Pashinyan: Armenia to publish draft of new constitution in November

Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said the government plans to publish a draft of the country's new constitution in November, with public consultations to follow, as constitutional reforms remain a key issue in efforts to secure a final peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

After the draft constitution has been made public this month, authorities will launch discussions and invite citizens to submit proposals, according to Pashinyan who told lawmakers on Monday (2 November) during a joint session of parliamentary committees reviewing the draft 2027 state budget, according to local media.

“We will publish the draft of the new constitution, public discussions will begin, and the proposals received will be presented and reviewed. This process will continue until we are confident that the draft of the new constitution has been discussed sufficiently widely by our society,” Pashinyan emphasised.

Constitutional reform and peace agreement

Pashinyan also identified the signing and ratification of the peace agreement initialled by Armenia and Azerbaijan as one of the government's main priorities.

Addressing questions from the opposition about whether adopting a new constitution would ensure the signing of the agreement and establish comprehensive peace, the prime minister said the government would work to provide clear answers in the coming period.

He argued that if the ruling majority could offer convincing assurances on the issue, most Armenian citizens would support the new constitution in a referendum.

Pashinyan also suggested that if the government provided satisfactory answers, but the parliamentary opposition continued to oppose the constitutional reform, it could be seen as opposing peace with Azerbaijan.

He said the ruling majority should take the lead in generating public pressure on the opposition.

Armenia and Azerbaijan initialled a peace agreement on 8 August 2025. However, Azerbaijan has made amendments to Armenia's constitution a precondition for formally signing the agreement, arguing that references to Armenia's Declaration of Independence in the constitution's preamble contain territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

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Armenia Azerbaijan Nikol Pashinyan Constitutional Reform peace process South Caucasus