Azerbaijan (Turkey News) – Important amendments have been approved in the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, including new articles concerning the powers of the Supreme Assembly and the Nakhchivan Cabinet. According to reports, President Ilham Aliyev has signed the constitutional law “On Approval of Amendments to the Constitution of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.”
The document introduces two new articles (Article 3-1 and Article 28-1) while repealing one article (Article 5). Amendments have also been made to various articles and the preamble of the constitution. Previously, the preamble emphasized that Nakhchivan’s autonomy was established under international agreements dated March 16, 1921, and October 13, 1921 (the Moscow and Kars Treaties), which confirmed Nakhchivan as part of Azerbaijan and defined its borders.
The new amendments explicitly state that the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic is an integral part of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and references to the old treaties have been removed from the constitution. As a result, the principle of Nakhchivan being an inseparable part of Azerbaijan, previously mentioned in Article 134, Clause III, is now also included in the preamble.
The new constitutional article “Authorized Representative of the President in Nakhchivan” (Article 3-1) stipulates that the institution of the President’s Authorized Representative in Nakhchivan acts as an executive body implementing the powers assigned by the President of Azerbaijan. The head of this institution is appointed and dismissed directly by the President and is accountable solely to the President.
