Armenia`s premier answers Azerbaijani journalist`s questions 

ArmInfo. Prime Minister of the Republic of Armenia Nikol Pashinyan, who is in Tirana within the framework of the 6th summit of the European Political Community, answered questions from an Azerbaijani journalist.

Thus, answering the question whether the new Constitution of Armenia  will contain a reference to the Declaration of Independence,  Pashinyan stated that Yerevan does not yet have a draft of the new  Constitution.

This is already a legally confirmed fact, and this is very important.  And I would like to note the following:  it is obvious that  Azerbaijan raises two issues for signing a peace agreement between  Azerbaijan and Armenia. One of the issues is related to the  dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group. We say that, in general, this  agenda is acceptable to us, and we want to make sure that Azerbaijan  does not want to close the conflict on its territory and transfer it  to the territory of the Republic of Armenia. And there is a solution  for this. The solution we propose is the following: simultaneously  sign a peace agreement and an appeal to the OSCE with a request to  dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group. In other words, in the same place and  at the same time, which is very important. And this would be a very  important mutual gesture for trust and stability in our region.

There is another issue related to the Constitution. I have already  spoken about this and I would like to note that the already agreed  text of the peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan very  clearly and distinctly states that Armenia and Azerbaijan recognize  each other's territorial integrity and sovereignty, based on the  Alma-Ata Declaration and relying on the fact that the administrative  borders of the union republics have become state borders. This means  that Soviet Azerbaijan is an independent Azerbaijan, Soviet Armenia  is an independent Armenia.

This is the first very important fact.

There is also an article there that Armenia and Azerbaijan have no  territorial claims against each other and undertake not to raise such  issues and demands in the future.

That is, in fact, the issues that are now being raised both in  Armenia and in Azerbaijan are resolved in the draft peace agreement  between Azerbaijan and Armenia.

There is another very important article, which states that neither  side can refer to its own legislation in order not to comply with  this agreement. And once the agreement is signed, according to the  legislation of Armenia, we will have to send it to the Constitutional  Court so that the Constitutional Court can decide on its compliance  with our Constitution. And when the Constitutional Court makes a  decision that the agreement is fully compliant with the Constitution  of the Republic of Armenia, this will mean that there will be no  obstacles to the ratification of this document in the Parliament of  the Republic of Armenia.

When it is ratified in the Parliament of Armenia, the article of our  Constitution will come into force, which notes that ratified  international treaties have supreme legal force and take precedence  over local laws.

Why am I saying all this? Because the Azerbaijani side is now raising  questions about the alleged territorial claims against Azerbaijan in  the Constitution of Armenia, which I have already spoken about. And  if these concerns are real, then the shortest way to solve the  problem is to sign a peace agreement. Because when the peace  agreement is signed and ratified by the Armenian parliament, it will  be confirmed at the highest legislative level that Armenia has no  territorial claims either to Azerbaijan or to its neighbors in  general.

We also have concerns, and we see that the Constitution of Azerbaijan  contains territorial claims against Armenia. But we do not raise this  issue the way Azerbaijan does. Why? Because we see that this issue  has been resolved in the already agreed draft peace agreement. And in  order to resolve and eliminate this problem, we just need to sign the  peace agreement and ratify it. And we are ready to make such a  decision, " Prime Minister Pashinyan said.

Answering a journalist's question about why Armenia does not want to  apply for the dissolution of the OSCE Minsk Group before signing a  peace treaty with Azerbaijan, Pashinyan said: "Since we have concerns  about the Constitution of Azerbaijan, we see territorial claims  against Armenia in the Constitution of Azerbaijan. And,  unfortunately, we also see certain political movements in Azerbaijan  that give reason to think that at least in Azerbaijan there are  circles that want, so to speak, to close the page of the conflict on  their territory and transfer the conflict to the territory of  Armenia, " Pashinyan said.

In response to the remark of an Azerbaijani journalist that Baku has  already stated that it has no territorial claims against Yerevan,  Nikol Pashinyan said: .