Armenia’s Constitutional Reform Council is not prepared to assume responsibility for the text of the new Constitution, meaning that the Ministry of Justice will bear final responsibility for its drafting and content, Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan told reporters at the National Assembly.
“My understanding was that our colleagues were not prepared to take responsibility. I am referring to our colleagues collectively, rather than to individual responsibility,” the minister said, according to Sputnik Armenia.
Galyan explained that, under the circumstances, she had proposed continuing work on the constitutional draft within the ministry and presenting it to the public under the ministry’s name.
At the same time, she emphasized that council members would remain free to express their opinions on any provision of the draft. Galyan added that approximately 70–80% of the Constitution’s articles had already been discussed with the council, although its members had not yet reviewed the current draft in its entirety.
“We are the responsible party here. In other words, the Ministry of Justice will bear ultimate responsibility for the content of the text,” she stressed.
Addressing constitutional provisions concerning the status of the Armenian Apostolic Church, Galyan said a decision had been made at this stage to retain the existing provision unchanged in the draft of the new Constitution. She also emphasized that the document would undergo further discussion and revision after publication, meaning that no provision should be regarded as final or unalterable.
Regarding disagreements over references to the Declaration of Independence, the minister said that some of the objectives set out in the declaration were no longer relevant.
“No one can erase the Declaration of Independence from the pages of history, nor could anyone have such an intention. But the fact is that the objectives set out in the Declaration of Independence are outdated. We do not have an objective of uniting Nagorno-Karabakh with Armenia,” Galyan said.
According to the justice minister, Armenia’s priorities today are ensuring the continuity of its statehood, promoting the country’s prosperity and development, and strengthening its independence and sovereignty.
Commenting on the opposition’s position, the minister stated that political forces should not obstruct the holding of a constitutional referendum, since citizens must make the final decision on the Constitution.
The Constitutional Reform Council is chaired by Armenian Justice Minister Srbuhi Galyan. Its members include representatives of the executive, legislative and judicial branches, the Human Rights Defender’s Office, political forces and civil society.
Following the parliamentary elections held in June 2026, the council’s composition underwent changes. Under a decision adopted on October 28, Hasmik Yengoyan, a member of the National Assembly’s Strong Armenia parliamentary faction, also joined the council.
