Azerbaijan Insists Armenia Change Constitution Before Signing Peace Treaty

Armenia must change its constitution before it can sign a peace treaty with Azerbaijan, stated Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov on Thursday. This precondition, set by Baku, was reiterated during Bayramov’s visit to Georgia.

Bayramov explained that the Armenian constitution includes territorial claims to Azerbaijan, which he described as "the most serious obstacle to concluding the peace process." He made these comments at a joint news conference with his Georgian counterpart, Ilia Darchiashvili, noting that while the two sides have significantly narrowed their differences on key terms of the treaty, this constitutional issue remains unresolved.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev echoed Bayramov's sentiments earlier this month. On June 6, Aliyev insisted that Azerbaijan will not sign the peace deal unless Armenia changes its constitution. Specifically, he demanded the removal of a reference to a 1990 declaration of independence, which cites a 1989 unification act by Soviet Armenia and the Nagorno-Karabakh Autonomous Oblast.

In response, the Armenian Foreign Ministry accused Aliyev of sabotaging the peace process. The ministry argued that one of the agreed provisions of the draft accord stipulates that the parties cannot use their domestic legislation as a reason to avoid complying with the treaty. Armenia is ready to finalize and sign the treaty within a month, the ministry added.

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan voiced his frustration during a visit to Estonia, stating, "I cannot say that we have seen a positive reaction from our Azerbaijani counterparts to this proposal to sign the peace treaty within a month." He emphasized that the treaty has been "almost finalized" by both sides.

Adding to the tensions, last week, the Armenian Foreign Ministry suggested that Azerbaijan might be planning a new aggression against Armenia after hosting the COP29 summit in November. This claim was based on Baku’s strong reaction to a recent French-Armenian arms deal signed in Paris.