A referendum on Armenia’s new constitution is set to take place in 2027, announced Armenia’s Justice Minister Grigor Minasyan during a briefing with journalists following a government meeting on Thursday, August 29.
“The constitutional referendum, as a result of a new agreement, is planned for 2027. This means that we will work on that complex document in detail, with public discussions, also working with all specialists, not urgently,” Minasyan stated.
He emphasized that through the discussions, it was decided that Armenia needs a new constitution rather than amendments to the existing one.
The minister also noted that during the council’s working meetings, there was no discussion regarding amendments to the first three articles of the current constitution or the removal of the reference to the Declaration of Independence.
Against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s ongoing and baseless demand for changes to the Armenian constitution, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan ordered months ago that a new constitution be drafted and approved by December 30, 2026. Previously, Pashinyan had spoken about the necessity of adopting a new constitution, emphasizing that it should reflect the country’s current realities and future aspirations.
Minasyan heads the Constitutional Reform Council, formed by Prime Minister Pashinyan in January 2022. Initially, the council’s mandate was to propose amendments to the current Armenian constitution. It consists of state officials, pro-government politicians, and leaders of two non-governmental organizations.
In May 2024, Pashinyan changed the council’s mandate, directing it to draft a “new constitution” from scratch before January 2027. This move came as Azerbaijan, led by its authoritarian regime under President Ilham Aliyev, continued to make the signing of a peace treaty with Armenia conditional on fabricated changes to the Armenian constitution. Azerbaijani leaders falsely claim that the current constitution contains territorial assertions against Azerbaijan, specifically citing the preamble referencing Armenia’s 1990 Declaration of Independence. The only legal way to remove these references would be by enacting an entirely new constitution through a referendum.
Aliyev has stated that that these changes are a chief condition for a peace agreement, and there will be no peace deal until the territorial claims are dropped. In April 2024, Aliyev renewed his demands for constitutional changes after forcing Pashinyan’s government into handing over four disputed border areas to Azerbaijan. Armenian opposition leaders have strongly condemned the land transfer, warning that it will only embolden Baku to push for more unjust concessions from Armenia.
Pashinyan and his political team deny opposition claims that the new constitution is being enacted under Azerbaijani pressure. However, the prime minister acknowledged in February that peace with Azerbaijan would be impossible as long as the 1990 Declaration remains referenced in the Armenian constitution.
Edmon Marukyan, a politician and member of the Constitutional Reform Council, publicly opposed the adoption of the new constitution on August 1. Marukyan argued that Baku is using this issue to avoid signing the peace deal and “will continue to make new demands on Armenia” regardless of any constitutional changes.
