Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan rejected claims that removing Mount Ararat from Armenia’s entry-exit stamps was tied to Turkey, calling it a sovereignty-driven decision.
Speaking about the government’s recent decision, Pashinyan said the proposal had been in circulation for months, long before any discussion of a visit by Turkey’s special representative.
“In no Armenia-Turkey negotiation has such an issue been discussed, nor can it be discussed,” he said, according to Aysor.am .
Pashinyan stressed that the key factor in Armenia’s security strategy is legitimacy — recognition of the country’s territorial integrity and sovereignty within internationally recognized borders. “We are doing this to ensure the continuity of our statehood,” he said.
He also pointed out that the stamp had no Ararat image prior to 2004. “What did its absence mean then, and what did its appearance mean later?” Pashinyan asked.
He promised to elaborate soon on a model of patriotism under which these decisions are being made. “All steps we are taking are aimed at strengthening Armenia’s statehood, sovereignty, and security, and making Armenia a maximally responsible international member,” the Prime Minister said.
According to the new government decision, starting November 1, 2025, Armenian entry and exit stamps will no longer feature Mount Ararat. The change was approved at a cabinet meeting as a non-reported item. Labor and Social Affairs Minister Arsen Torosyan, also a senior member of the ruling Civil Contract party, said the stamps were updated to meet modern border-crossing requirements and reflect the ideology of a “Real Armenia.”
