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The change of the form of the entry/exit passport stamps issued by Armenian immigration officers has nothing to do with the ongoing normalization talks with Türkiye, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said, denying opposition claims that the image of Mount Ararat was removed from the stamps at Ankara’s demand.
The plan to revise the stamp, which was formalized at a Cabinet meeting a day before Turkish envoy Serdar Kilic arrived for talks, was actually developed many months before that, Pashinyan said on Thursday.
“The issue of changing the design of the stamp placed in passports when crossing the state border of Armenia was put into circulation many months ago, at a time when there was not even a theoretical possibility or agreement in sight regarding a visit to Armenia by Turkish special representative, Serdar Kılıç. In general, this issue has never been discussed in any Armenian–Turkish negotiations and cannot be discussed. Now there is talk of a decision being made under yet another demand or threat from Türkiye. That is untrue,” Pashinyan said.
Pashinyan reiterated that the key principle of Armenia’s security strategy is legitimacy.
“We ourselves must recognize — and we do recognize — the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the Republic of Armenia within its internationally recognized territory and borders. We are doing this to ensure the continuity of our state. Our state must be placed on the right position,” Pashinyan said.
The Armenian Minister of Labor and Social Affairs, Arsen Torosyan, had also earlier denied the opposition’s claims that the change was made at Türkiye's demand. He had said that many countries don’t use stamps at all, while the new ones used in Armenia will only feature information on the border crossing, without any additional images, including that of Mount Ararat.
Mount Ararat, located in eastern Türkiye, is visible from much of Armenia’s west, including Yerevan. Its image can be seen in Armenian artwork and symbols.