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Akbar Novruz

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Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has declared that the country's Declaration of Independence contradicts the foundations of Armenian statehood, arguing that its provisions are incompatible with the development of an independent state.

According to Newsarmenia.am, Pashinyan made the remarks while speaking to journalists on October 29, amid ongoing discussions over constitutional reform and the future of the peace agreement with Azerbaijan.

"The text of Armenia's Declaration of Independence is against our statehood," the prime minister stated.

Explaining his position, Pashinyan argued that the document's underlying principles create obstacles to the establishment and consolidation of an independent state.

"This text speaks of the impossibility of having a state. We must learn from our history," he stressed.

His remarks come as Armenia prepares to publish the draft of a new constitution, with Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan announcing earlier that the document is expected to be made public within the next month.

The Declaration of Independence has become a central issue in the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process, particularly because of its references to the 1989 declaration concerning the unification of Armenia and Karabakh.

Baku has repeatedly maintained that references to the declaration in Armenia's constitutional framework amount to territorial claims against Azerbaijan and must be addressed before the peace agreement can be formally signed.

Although Armenia and Azerbaijan initialled the peace agreement in Washington in August 2025, the document has yet to be signed and ratified.

Pashinyan's latest comments suggest a growing emphasis on reassessing the ideological and constitutional foundations of Armenian statehood, although he did not specify which provisions of the declaration would be addressed in the proposed constitution.

Peace with Azerbaijan must become irreversible

The Armenian prime minister also reaffirmed his commitment to normalising relations with Azerbaijan, stressing that the peace process must move beyond political declarations and acquire a lasting institutional foundation.

"I say again: I see no alternative to peace. I am saying this now in the context of the discussions held in parliament yesterday. Strengthening peace and turning it into an institutional reality are my first, second and third priorities as Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia. I will move forward consistently and resolutely in this direction. Peace must be irreversible and institutional," Pashinyan emphasised.

He reiterated that the peace agreement with Azerbaijan should be formally signed and ratified, describing the consolidation of peace as a priority for his government.

The prime minister also linked the importance of lasting regional stability to broader geopolitical uncertainty, warning that the international order was undergoing profound changes.

"The world order is collapsing, and we were able to establish peace in these circumstances," he said.

Pashinyan argued that the challenge now was to transform the current period of relative stability into a durable arrangement capable of lasting for generations.

"When we see what is happening in the world, we understand that the world order is, in fact, collapsing. Fortunately, we were able to establish peace during this period. But our task is to turn two years of peace into 20 years, one year into 200 years, 200 years into 400 years, etc.," he stated.

His comments follow recent parliamentary discussions in which Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan also stressed the importance of strengthening peace with Azerbaijan and avoiding a return to confrontation.

Pashinyan dismisses prospect of snap elections

Addressing domestic political developments, Pashinyan also downplayed the possibility of holding early parliamentary elections amid disagreements between the government and opposition over constitutional reform.

The prime minister indicated that he did not consider snap elections a likely outcome of the current political debate.

However, he suggested that he intended to present the opposition with a proposal, describing it as "an offer they cannot refuse."

Pashinyan did not elaborate on the nature of the proposed offer or explain how it might affect the ongoing political disagreements.