Pashinyan pushes for constitutional changes, eyes 2027 vote Claims no grounds for escalation

Armenian authorities plan to hold a vote on adopting a new constitution in 2027, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan revealed in an interview with Public TV.

"We have the issue of constitutional changes on our agenda. It is scheduled for 2027. There are opinions within our ruling force about the need to hold constitutional processes in parallel with the 2026 parliamentary elections to make our political agenda more concrete. But this is purely an internal political process. However, I must admit that it cannot but have a regional and global impact," Pashinyan stated, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

Previously, Pashinyan had set a political objective of drafting a new constitution that would be "organically linked to the citizens of Armenia." His comments come amid ongoing regional tensions, as Azerbaijan has repeatedly emphasised that obstacles — such as territorial claims enshrined in Armenia’s constitution and the country's stance on the OSCE Minsk Group — must be resolved for a peace agreement to be finalized between Baku and Yerevan.

Back in September 2024, Pashinyan acknowledged the possibility of amending Armenia’s fundamental law to facilitate a peace treaty with Azerbaijan. More recently, on February 19, the Armenian prime minister reiterated the necessity of a national referendum to approve a new Armenian Constitution.

Amid Baku’s recent statements of ceasefire violations along the conditional border, Pashinyan downplayed the likelihood of an escalation, insisting that there were no valid reasons for a deterioration in Armenian-Azerbaijani relations.

"The escalation must have grounds. In our region today, there are no grounds for escalation. Consequently, the next stage should be the signing and implementation of a peace treaty," Pashinyan said in his televised interview.

He also addressed the role of the European Union’s civilian mission stationed on the Armenian-Azerbaijani border. According to Pashinyan, the EU mission could remain deployed until Yerevan and Baku formally sign a peace agreement. Once the treaty is in place, Armenia and the EU will then discuss the mission’s future status and operational scope.

Despite Pashinyan’s assertions, tensions remain on the ground. On March 21, Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Defence reported that overnight, Armenian armed forces shelled Azerbaijani Army positions, marking another breach of the ceasefire agreement.

According to the Azerbaijani MoD statement, Armenian units opened intermittent fire using small arms from multiple locations, including Gorus, Basarkechar, and Chambarak, targeting Azerbaijani positions along the border.

By Tamilla Hasanova