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.