Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan reiterated on Tuesday that the government-initiated constitutional reforms have nothing to do with Azerbaijan’s calls for constitutional changes. He said the adoption of a new constitution is in Armenia’s interests.

“The Constitution of Armenia and the proposed amendments are being made for the interests of Armenia. They are not being made for the interests of Azerbaijan. They are being made for Armenia’s survival and its future,” Simonyan, a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, said at a press briefing in response to allegations that the changes were initiated at Azerbaijan’s demand.

Responding to a question about whether Armenia could demand that Azerbaijan change its Constitution, the Speaker said that a peace agreement with Azerbaijan has already been negotiated, and there is no such provision in the agreement. All clauses in the peace agreement are bilateral.

“There is no such agenda. Armenia needs to have a strong military. I am working to ensure that the Armenian army can be well-armed and capable of defending itself. I am not thinking about imposing anything on Azerbaijan, Türkiye, or Georgia so that tomorrow they might think of imposing something on us. I am thinking about Armenia’s interests. And Armenia’s interest dictates that we must have a constitution that does not give anyone an excuse to see us as a threat in the region,” Simonyan emphasized.

Minister of Justice Srbuhi Galyan announced earlier in March that the text of the proposed new Constitution, developed to replace the current one via referendum, is ready and will be discussed at the ruling Civil Contract party’s board meeting, as well as by its parliamentary faction. Speaking to reporters, she was asked whether the reference to the Declaration of Independence in the current Constitution’s preamble has been removed in the new text, something Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has endorsed, citing its “conflict logic.” Galyan said the text doesn’t have a preamble but didn’t clarify. She said the final version would be published after finalization. 

Armenian Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan told reporters on Monday that Azerbaijan has notified that it will not finalize the initialed peace deal as long as the current wording about Nagorno-Karabakh remains in the Armenian Constitution, referring to the preamble that includes a reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence.

Azerbaijan has repeatedly accused Armenia of having what it describes as territorial claims in its Constitution through its preamble reference to the 1990 Declaration of Independence, which in turn mentions Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenia has denied that this reference constitutes territorial claims, and the country’s Constitutional Court has ruled that the mention in no way amounts to such claims. Armenian officials have stated that signing the initialed peace deal with Azerbaijan would resolve all of Azerbaijan’s concerns.

Meanwhile, the Pashinyan administration has initiated constitutional amendments, with work ongoing to develop the draft, but officials have emphasized that this is an unrelated internal matter that has been in the plans for many years.

Armenian officials have repeatedly stated that Armenia has no territorial claims against any country.

Speaker of Parliament Alen Simonyan held a meeting on Tuesday with South Korea’s newly appointed non-resident ambassador to Armenia, Lee Sok-bae.

According to a readout from the parliament’s press service, the Speaker congratulated the ambassador on his appointment and expressed hope that his work would contribute to the further strengthening and development of relations between the two countries.

They also discussed the development of interparliamentary ties, as well as other issues of mutual interest.

South Korea’s new ambassador to Armenia, Lee Sok-bae, presented his credentials to Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan on Tuesday.

The President congratulated the ambassador on assuming office and wished him a productive tenure for the benefit of Armenian–Korean relations.

According to a readout from the President’s Office, Khachaturyan highlighted the ambassador’s experience and knowledge of the region, noting that these could significantly contribute to deepening bilateral cooperation.

He also noted that Armenia attaches great importance to developing relations with East Asian countries, placing particular emphasis on cooperation with South Korea, and stressed that there is considerable potential for joint projects, especially in the fields of high technology, energy, culture, and tourism.

Ambassador Lee expressed gratitude for the warm reception, emphasizing that his country values cooperation with Armenia and supports its efforts to establish peace and stability in the region.

During the meeting, the sides discussed ways to expand cooperation in energy, high technology, and other sectors, emphasizing the need for consistent and targeted efforts to fully realize the existing potential.

They also underscored the importance of strengthening democratic institutions, the rule of law, and the protection of universal values as a foundation for stable and effective cooperation.

Particular emphasis was placed on further strengthening and deepening established ties in education, tourism, culture, and other people-centered sectors, viewed as key factors in enhancing mutual understanding and fostering long-term partnership.

Lee Sok-bae is a non-resident ambassador, as South Korea does not yet have a resident embassy in Armenia. In November 2023, there were reports that South Korea was planning to open a resident embassy. 

A magnitude 2.7 earthquake has struck Armenia’s Gegharkunik Province, about 8 km northeast of the town of Martuni.

The quake was registered by the Interior Ministry’s Seismic Protection Agency at 14:10 on Tuesday. It had a depth of 10 km.

The agency said in a press release that the quake measured 3–4 on the MSK scale at the epicenter. It was felt in the villages of Zolakar and Madina at an intensity of 2–3 on the MSK scale.

No damage was reported.

YEREVAN, 24 MARCH, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs “Armenpress” that today, 24 March, USD exchange rate down by 0.06 drams to 377.32 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 3.82 drams to 437.43 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.0961 drams to 4.6885 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 5.28 drams to 505.87 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 1177 drams to 54181 drams. Silver price down by 62.49 drams to 815.58 drams.

Arusyak Julhakyan, a member of the Civil Contract faction, has been elected as a representative of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) to the Group of States against Corruption (GRECO), the lawmaker has said on her Facebook page.

“I have been elected as a PACE representative to GRECO (the Council of Europe Group of States against Corruption),” Julhakyan has posted.

The leadership of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Armenia, headed by Minister Arpine Sargsyan, met with international partners to present the results of ongoing reforms and outline upcoming priorities.

In her opening speech, Minister Sargsyan expressed gratitude to the European Union and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for supporting the organization of the third coordination meeting between the ministry and international partners.

She noted that the platform has become an institutional mechanism for continuously monitoring reforms, development, and joint results.

According to the minister, about 70 percent of the actions identified through the needs assessment have already been implemented through joint efforts, while the remaining 30 percent are in progress.

EU Ambassador to Armenia Vassilis Maragos stated that joint efforts have marked an important milestone in Armenia–EU relations, particularly in the areas of reforms and visa liberalization.

He noted that an action plan on visa liberalization has been submitted, describing it as the result of over a year of productive dialogue and aligned with Armenia’s reform agenda. Maragos emphasized that its implementation will serve both bilateral relations and the interests of Armenian citizens.

UNDP Resident Representative in Armenia Natia Natsvlishvili described the reforms in the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the police system as significant. She noted the transition toward a more integrated institutional model, where police, rescue, and migration services operate within a coordinated framework.

According to her, this reflects not only structural changes but also a deeper transformation in service delivery, including a shift toward more professional and system-based operations supported by improved human resource management, digital tools, and operational capacity.

Minister Sargsyan later presented key reforms implemented in recent years and the results achieved. Deputy Minister Armen Ghazaryan outlined sector-specific reforms and upcoming programs.

The meeting was attended by representatives of international partner organizations and diplomatic missions accredited in Armenia.