Armenian justice minister unveils 10-month timeline for new constitution

Armenian Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan has announced that Armenia's new Constitution is set to be finalised within the next 10 months.

The minister provided an update on the ongoing development of the constitutional text during a recent press briefing, Caliber.Az reports via Armenian media.

Galyan confirmed that the draft of the new Constitution is still under review, with multiple versions being discussed. However, she emphasised that a final decision has not yet been reached on the document's content.

Addressing questions about the ongoing debate surrounding the removal of references to Armenia's Declaration of Independence, Galyan clarified that the issue has not been part of the current discussions. This comes in response to remarks made earlier by Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, who has proposed changes to the Constitution, including the potential elimination of such references. Back in March, Pashinyan announced that Armenia is planning to hold a referendum on the adoption of the new Constitution in 2027. Additionally, he indicated that there is growing support within his government to conduct the referendum alongside the 2026 parliamentary elections.

At the time, Pashinyan described the constitutional reform as an internal political matter but acknowledged its broader "regional and international implications." In April, he reiterated in Parliament that the new Constitution should not include references to Armenia’s Declaration of Independence. This constitutional overhaul is drawing attention from neighbouring Azerbaijan, which has demanded that Armenia must amend the Constitution to remove territorial claims against Azerbaijan.

By Naila Huseynova