Armenian opposition leaders gathered in parliament on Thursday to condemn Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s administration for “denigrating” the 1990 declaration of Armenia’s independence, a document Azerbaijan claims remains an obstacle to peace between the two nations.
The declaration, referenced in Armenia’s constitution, includes a 1989 unification act between Soviet Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku argues asserts territorial claims over Azerbaijan. Azerbaijani leaders insist they will not sign a peace treaty with Armenia unless this and other legal acts are repealed.
Last month, Armenia’s Constitutional Court minimized the legal significance of the preamble, aligning with the Pashinyan government’s position that it does not challenge Azerbaijani sovereignty over Karabakh. The court stated that the 1990 declaration is not tied to any principles that contradict the Constitution’s articles.
Opposition figures and legal experts sharply criticized this ruling, accusing the court of overstepping its authority. They suggested that Pashinyan pushed for the decision in an attempt to meet Azerbaijan’s demands.
The opposition Hayastan alliance held a parliamentary hearing on Wednesday, promoting a draft statement defending the independence declaration and denouncing any attempt to undermine Armenian statehood. The hearing, boycotted by the pro-government majority, included opposition leaders, government critics, and Archbishop Bagrat Galstanian, who has been a vocal opponent of Pashinyan’s territorial concessions to Azerbaijan. Galstanian condemned the current regime, stating that Pashinyan has failed in every aspect of leadership.
“Our struggle is about saving our statehood,” declared the archbishop, signaling that the opposition’s fight for change is far from over.
Despite the court’s ruling, Azerbaijan remains unsatisfied. Baku continues to claim that Armenia harbors territorial ambitions, and in recent weeks, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has added further demands for a peace deal, including threats of renewed military action against Armenia on October 4.
