Azerbaijan demands Armenia constitutional change

Azerbaijan and Armenia are at 'real peace' and rebuilding trade links after decades of conflict, a senior Azerbaijani official told Reuters, but Baku is insisting on changes to Armenia's constitution before a final deal can be signed. The South Caucasus neighbours had been at intermittent war since the late 1980s, mostly over Nagorno-Karabakh, before reaching a preliminary U.S.-brokered peace agreement last August. For Azerbaijan, a sticking point is the preamble of Armenia's constitution, which references a Soviet-era document calling for reunification of Armenia and Nagorno-Karabakh. Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said he wants to hold a referendum to change the constitution, but his Civil Contract party lacks the constitutional majority. Azerbaijan also received positive signals from the United States that construction on the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP) corridor could begin this autumn, which would connect Asia to Europe and reduce reliance on Russia.