Armenia removes Mount Agrium emblem from border passport stamps during efforts for normalization
Armenia Removes Mount Ararat from Passport Stamps
In a move aimed at improving relations with neighboring Turkey, the Armenian government has decided to remove the image of Mount Ararat from passport stamps issued at border crossings. The decision, signed by Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan on Sept. 11, will take effect on Nov. 1 and includes dimensional adjustments to the stamps.
Mount Ararat, a powerful national symbol for Armenians, has been a contentious issue between the two countries. Located in Turkey's east, the mountain has appeared on Armenia's coat of arms, currency, and cultural works. However, the decision to remove it from passport stamps is partly intended to avoid sending "dangerous messages" to neighboring countries.
The change in the passport stamps is described as practical rather than political. Armenia's Labor and Social Affairs Minister, Arsen Torosyan, defended the update in a Facebook post. He stated that the decision was in line with global norms, as the new stamps will not include any images, including Mount Ararat.
This decision comes in the same week as a Turkish delegation's visit to Armenia. Led by Ambassador Serdar Kılıç, the visit marked the first time in decades that envoys have used a land crossing. The visit, as well as the decision to remove Mount Ararat from passport stamps, could be seen as a step towards reopening the long-closed border between the two countries.
In 2019, Pashinyan visited Turkey, marking the first time an Armenian prime minister had visited since 2008. More recently, in 2024, Pashinyan critiqued references in Armenia's 1990 constitution that cause discomfort among neighbors, such as referring to Karabakh as Armenian territory and eastern Turkish regions as 'Western Armenia'.
Artur Hovhannisyan, Party Secretary, suggested the possibility of the removal of Mount Ararat from other state symbols and seals. However, it is important to note that the change in the passport stamps is not the first step towards removing Mount Ararat from other state symbols, according to Hovhannisyan.
The Pashinyan government has increasingly highlighted Mount Aragats, Armenia's highest peak within its territory, as the centerpiece of national identity. Despite the removal of Mount Ararat from passport stamps, it remains a significant symbol for Armenians, and its importance in the nation's identity is likely to continue.
