Pashinyan marks 34th anniversary of independence declaration, highlights constitutional distinctions

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YEREVAN, August 23. /ARKA/. Prime Minister of Armenia, Nikol Pashinyan, delivered a congratulatory message on the occasion of the 34th anniversary of the country’s Declaration of Independence./pp

On August 23, 1990, the Supreme Council of Soviet Armenia adopted the Declaration of Independence. With this document, the people of Armenia announced their desire to establish an independent state to the world and solidified their will. Subsequently, in 1995, a reference to the Declaration of Independence was included and remains in the preamble of the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, the message stated./pp

However, Pashinyan clarified that despite various interpretations, this does not mean that the entire content of the Declaration of Independence is incorporated into the Constitution of Armenia, nor are the contents of the two documents identical./pp

The clearest evidence of this is Article 5 of the Declaration, which states: 'In order to ensure its security and the inviolability of its borders, the Republic of Armenia establishes its own Armed Forces, internal troops, and state and public security bodies, subordinate to the Supreme Council,' he noted./pp

Pashinyan explained that despite this wording in the Declaration, according to the Constitution of Armenia, the Armed Forces, police troops, and state and public security bodies do not report to the country's parliament. Following constitutional amendments in 2015, they were subordinated to the President, and after April 2018, to the government./pp

This directly and unequivocally shows that only those provisions of the Declaration of Independence that are explicitly, verbatim, and literally expressed are reflected in the Constitution of the Republic of Armenia, and any other interpretation is simply inappropriate, Pashinyan said./pp

The Prime Minister emphasized that independence, sovereignty, and statehood are indispensable institutions for preserving Armenian identity and autonomy./pp

On August 23, 1990, after a long hiatus, we made the first attempt to grapple with these institutions and ideologies. Our perceptions and understandings of independence and statehood have significantly evolved since then, and I dare say, have become deeper and more comprehensive. Independence, statehood, and citizenship are entirely different ways of thinking, entirely different dimensions, and we are entering these dimensions, embracing and developing these formulas, right here, right now, Pashinyan noted./pp br/p