BAKU, Azerbaijan, February 2. Azerbaijan is amending the preamble to the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic and removing references to the Moscow and Kars treaties from the Constitution, Trend reports.
This issue is reflected in the draft law “On the Approval of Amendments to the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic,” which was discussed today at a plenary session of the Azerbaijani parliament.
The current preamble says that the foundations of Nakhchivan's autonomy were laid by the Moscow Treaties of March 16, 1921, and the Kars Treaties of October 13, 1921. These international treaties reaffirmed Nakhchivan as an integral part of Azerbaijan and defined the territorial boundaries of Nakhchivan. Starting on March 16, 1921, Nakhchivan was first called the Nakhchivan Soviet Socialist Republic, then the Nakhchivan Region after June 16, 1923, then the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic from February 9, 1924, and then the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from November 17, 1990. The first Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic was adopted in 1926, the second in 1937, and the third in 1978. The basis of the current Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, adopted by a nationwide referendum on November 12, 1995.
The draft law proposes to remove the above sections from the Constitution and replace them with the following provisions:
The Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an integral part of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The basis of this Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is the principles established in the Declaration “On the Restoration of State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan” of August 30, 1991, and the Constitutional Act “On State Independence of the Republic of Azerbaijan” of October 18, 1991, as well as in the Constitution of the Republic of Azerbaijan, adopted by a nationwide referendum on November 12, 1995.
The draft law was submitted for discussion and adopted in the second vote. The first vote took place on July 8, 2025.