Former Armenian FM invokes Argentina's Malvinas policy in constitutional debate

Former Armenian Foreign Minister Vartan Oskanian has questioned demands that Armenia remove references related to Nagorno-Karabakh from its Constitution, arguing that Argentina’s constitutional claim to the Falkland Islands, known in Argentina as the Malvinas, demonstrates that territorial aspirations can coexist with a commitment to peaceful diplomacy.

In a Facebook post following Argentina’s victory over England in the 2026 FIFA World Cup semifinal, Oskanian said the match revived public discussion of the long-running sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands. He noted that Argentine politicians, war veterans and commentators openly linked the result to the unresolved territorial issue.

Oskanian said Argentina’s claim is not merely political but is enshrined in the country’s Constitution. Since a 1994 constitutional amendment, Argentina has defined the recovery of the Malvinas as a permanent national objective while committing to pursue that goal exclusively through peaceful means, diplomacy and international law.

He argued that the precedent raises questions for Armenia, as Azerbaijan has insisted that Yerevan remove constitutional references it says relate to Nagorno-Karabakh as a condition for a peace agreement.

“If Argentina has the right to maintain its constitutional position on the Malvinas while remaining committed to peaceful and diplomatic means, why should Armenia be denied the same right?” Oskanian wrote on Thursday.

He said a constitutional aspiration pursued through dialogue and international law rather than the use of force should not be viewed as an obstacle to peace.

“The real test is not whether a state maintains a constitutional claim, but how it pursues that claim,” he said, adding that lasting peace is built through diplomacy, respect for international law and the protection of human rights, rather than by requiring states to erase their history or abandon constitutional principles.

Argentine players displayed a banner reading, “The Malvinas belong to Argentina,” after defeating England in the World Cup semifinal.

The United Kingdom and Argentina fought a war over the Falkland Islands, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands in 1982. The conflict ended with a British victory, and the Falkland Islands remain under British administration, while Argentina continues to claim sovereignty over the territory.