Armenia news
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The gist
Azerbaijan's top diplomat tied completing peace with Armenia to Armenia adopting a new constitution.
The Washington declaration contains no such requirement, so both sides read the deal differently.
Background
Armenia and Azerbaijan initialed a peace agreement in Washington in August 2025, but it has not entered into force. Armenia is separately drafting a new constitution, which Pashinyan calls an internal matter. In September 2026, Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov publicly linked completing the peace process to that constitutional change, while the published Washington declaration records no such requirement.
How it unfolded
- Aug 2025Armenia and Azerbaijan initial the peace agreement in Washington; it has not entered into force.
- Feb 24, 2026Deputy foreign ministers Elnur Mammadov of Azerbaijan and Robert Abisoghomonyan of Armenia meet in Geneva.
- Sep 3, 2026Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan tells reporters the constitution is not on the bilateral agenda with Azerbaijan.
- Sep 8, 2026JAMnews reports false claims that the text of Armenia's new Constitution has been published, and rebuts them.
- Sep 9, 2026Azerbaijan's state-owned AzerGold launches drilling and blasting at the Soyudlu (Zod) gold deposit in Kalbajar District, on the border with Armenia.
- Sep 10, 2026Azerbaijani Foreign Minister Jeyhun Bayramov publicly links completion of the peace process to adoption of a new Armenian constitution.
- Sep 11, 2026CEPA reports Armenia's relations with Russia are worsening, with no compromise expected and Russian ultimatums remaining in place.
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Bayramov says Baku's position is unchanged and that the Washington joint declaration requires Armenia to adopt a new Constitution before normalization can be completed.
- Official
- Pashinyan says the constitution is not on the agenda with Azerbaijan and calls it an internal issue of the Republic of Armenia.
- Analysts
- CEPA's Emil Avdaliani notes Armenia's 2026-2031 government program no longer calls Russia an ally, only a partner with whom Yerevan will strive to expand relations.
Still unverified
False claims that the text of Armenia's new Constitution has been published, and the rebuttal (JAMnews). The US promised Armenia Nvidia chips as part of the Azerbaijan peace deal, per Wall Street Journal reporting (Armenian Mirror-Spectator).