Does Armenia have any territorial claim from its neighbors?

I do not entertain Turkey’s and Azeri’s demands for amending the Hrchagakir / The Declaration of Independence.. But I raise the following fundamental question. Does Armenia have any territorial claim from its neighbors to enshrine it in its Declaration of Independence? If not, why does Armenia retain the reunification with Nagorno Karabagh on the preamble of the Declaration of Independence? 

The Soviet Union formally dissolved on 26 December 1991. But as early as in May 1989, the Secretary of State, James Baker III announced that the Soviet Union that we knew does not exist anymore. Obviously the 15 republics that made the Soviet Union were on high gear to face the inevitable formalization of the dissolution. In case Soviet Armenia and Nagornoa Karabagh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), the specter of post-Soviet unification seemed  palpable.

On December 1, 1989, there was a joint resolution of the Armenia SSR - Soviet Socialist Republic - and the Nagorno Karabakh Autonomous Oblast (NKAO), on REUNIFICATION.  The resolution stated the following: The Armenian Supreme Soviet and NKAO National Council declare the REUNIFICATION of the Armenian Republic and the NKAO.  (see the full text  below)

Please make a note  of the three underlined regions in the last sentence for unification with Armenia, Shahumian region and Getashen districts remained under Azeri rule as first Artsakh war came to a halt leading to the founding of the Republic of Mountainous Karabagh, which later was named Republic of Artsakh.

On August 23, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Armenian Soviet Socialist Republic issued its Declaration of Independence, the famed Hrchagakir – Հռչակագիր. There was no independent Armenia yet.  Its preamble reads as follows pertaining to the December 1, 1989 resolution: 

Based on the December 1, 1989, joint decision of the Armenian SSR Supreme Council and the Artsakh National Council on the "Reunification of the Armenian SSR and the Mountainous Region of Karabakh;"

.  The whole  text  obviously can be easily found in the internet. It was signed by Levon Ter-Petrossian, President of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia and Ara Sahakian, the secretary of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia.

Almost thirteen months after the August 23, 1990  joint declaration, the citizens of the Soviet Armenia voted for independence on September 21, 1991. 

On August 8, 1992, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Armenia issued a DECISION – ՈՐՈՇՈՒՄ – that would affirm that “For the Republic of Armenia, any international or domestic document, in which the Republic of Nagorno-Karabakh is mentioned as part of Azerbaijan, is unacceptable". The textual document is available, but  that document was never signed or ratified, (see below).

From there on, until its fateful sad finality, the Republic of Armenia did not recognize the Republic of Artsakh, nor incorporated it as a district -marz – of Armenia. Azerbaijan began blockading Artsakh in December 2022, and launched a large-scale military offensive in September 2023, resulting in a ceasefire agreement. Most ethnic Armenians fled, and Artsakh was officially dissolved on 1 January 2024. 

You may remember the “Hayakve” initiative. According to my records it ended on August 19, (2023), a month before Artsakh's depopulation. It appeared aimed amending the constitution of the Republic of Armenia by introducing provisions that would criminalize the denial of the Armenian Genocide and the claim that Artsakh is part of Azerbaijan. The citizens of Armenia were called upon to sign a general and unspecific “A statement of Confirmation” (Havasdakir) -  to the following: "Today you take control of the constitution and the laws of your state, the fate of your generations". But the initiators of the "Hayakve" appeared to have the ratification of the above unsigned DECISION-VOROSHOUM (ՈՐՈՇՈՒՄ) document, but for reasons of their own, went in round about ways. The response of the citizens of Armenia was very timid, at best.

The PM’s call for new constitution will likely annul or rather amend the Declaration of Independence of Armenia as ratified on August 23, 1990 and likely will have any statement in regard to the unification with Artsakh or any territorial claim from its neighbors, removed and made clear that Armenia does not have territorial claims from its neighbors. Or the Declaration of Independence will remain as worded but will not be included in the document that forms the basis of the working of the Republic of Armenia, its Constitution.

I do not entertain Turkey’s and Azeri’s demands for amending the Hrchagakir / The Declaration of Independence. But I raise the following fundamental question. Does Armenia have any territorial claim from its neighbors? If not, why does Armenia retain the reunification with Nagorno Karabagh on the preamble of the Declaration of Independence? 

The citizens of Armenia face a crucial period in our history. They will have to assume the responsibility and the commitment of what they approve to chart the course of Armenia.    

I support the choice the citizens of Armenia will make, even if it entails amending the Hrchagakir or excluding its preamble from the Constitution.