Armenian opposition MP reacts to Azeri official's constitution remarks

Azerbaijan has signaled that Armenia could meet Baku's demand to remove what it describes as territorial claims from Armenian law through legal means other than adopting a new constitution before the conclusion of a bilateral peace treaty, an Armenian opposition lawmaker said on Monday.

Writing on social media, Tigran Abrahamyan, a member of the opposition Pativ Unem faction, said Azerbaijani presidential aide Hikmet Hajiyev had recently stated that, from Baku's perspective, it was essential that provisions it considers to constitute territorial claims against Azerbaijan be “formally removed, whether through the adoption of a new constitution or another legal mechanism."

According to Abrahamyan, Hajiyev's remarks came after it became clear that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan's ruling Civil Contract party would not command a constitutional majority in parliament following Armenia's June 7 parliamentary elections, in which it won 49.7% of the vote.

"The question is what 'other legal mechanisms' official Baku has in mind. Presumably, this reflects bilateral discussions taking place behind the scenes, which require clarification," he wrote.

Abrahamyan said Hajiyev's comments attracted little public attention despite their significance.