Armenian Speaker optimistic about peace process But issues remain unresolved

Recently, during a press briefing, Alen Simonyan, the Speaker of Armenia’s National Assembly, made several statements regarding the ongoing peace process. Overall, his comments conveyed a sense of optimism about the steps being taken by both sides.

"Both Azerbaijan and Armenia, over the more than 30 years of this conflict, have left many unresolved issues, and with political will, all these issues are solvable," stated Simonyan.

When asked whether discussions on unblocking communications would be held at the deputy prime minister level, he responded, "We are both moving toward a positive result, step by step, very small steps, and everything is possible."

Regarding the regulations for the state commissions on border demarcation, Simonyan remarked, " I believe that the existence of this document is a great victory for both Armenia and Azerbaijan. Its implementation is one of the key cornerstones of the independence and territorial integrity of both Armenia and the Republic of Azerbaijan. We will move forward, and I am full of hope for a positive process."

Regarding the process of delimitation and demarcation, the Speaker of the National Assembly stated, "There are various arguments, grounds, and issues that could influence how we move forward—whether to go south or start with Syunik. Discussions are ongoing on this matter."

After delivering these optimistic messages, Simonyan returned to Yerevan's previous narratives when the topic shifted to Baku's demands for Yerevan to amend Armenia's Constitution to remove any territorial claims against Azerbaijan. Simonyan reiterated that "this issue has been resolved, and the decision of the Constitutional Court clearly showed that Armenia has no such problem." He added, "They have a problem in their Constitution as well, but we don’t raise it."

The decision in question refers to the ruling of Armenia’s Constitutional Court regarding the regulations of the Boundary Commission. In its ruling, the Constitutional Court determined that the signed document complies with the Constitution of Armenia. One of the key points in the decision states that national goals enshrined in Armenia’s Declaration of Independence, which are not reflected in the Constitution, have no legal force.

As it has been previously noted, this decision cannot be considered final. Primarily because it does not exclude the possibility of revisiting the issue in relation to the future peace agreement (if signed under the current Armenian Constitution) and its compatibility with the Constitution. Baku cannot rely on theoretical interim decisions by Armenia’s Constitutional Court and expects Yerevan to take real action. The only meaningful step would be to remove references to the Declaration of Independence from the Constitution.

As for the Constitution of Azerbaijan, contrary to Simonyan's statement, there are, of course, no issues with it. As the Armenian speaker himself put it, they "don’t raise" this issue simply because it doesn’t exist. However, there is a clear manipulation here—the very fact that the Armenian minister even mentioned a "problem" indicates that he is indeed raising it, albeit artificially.

This statement by Simonyan somewhat cools the cautious optimism generated by recent events, such as the letter from Biden to Aliyev and Pashinyan, the meetings of the leaders in Kazan, and the positive statements from Ararat Mirzoyan.

The disarray within the Armenian establishment has become so frequent that it is often difficult to discern whether there is an attempt to derail the process or, perhaps, an internal struggle within Pashinyan’s team. It is also possible that Simonyan is trying to distance himself from any responsibility for "bold decisions" and, should a peace agreement on Azerbaijan's fair terms be signed, may resign.

We will be able to better understand the true situation in the near future.