Historical map debate ‘pointless’, says Pashinyan

PanARMENIAN.Net - Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan, responding to Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s recent comments, stated that the historical map cited by Aliyev—published in early 20th-century Tsarist Russia—actually labels present-day Armenia as “Armenia” but does not identify present-day Azerbaijan as “Azerbaijan.”

Pashinyan made the remarks during a briefing with journalists after a Cabinet meeting, as reported by Armenpress.

He emphasized the importance of accurate reporting, noting that some media falsely claimed Aliyev had said, "There is no Lake Sevan, there is Lake Goycha." In fact, Pashinyan clarified, Aliyev stated that the Tsarist map in question shows “Lake Goycha” instead of Lake Sevan.

“But if you look at that map, it clearly says ‘Armenia’ in the area of modern-day Armenia, while there is no mention of ‘Azerbaijan’ in the territory of today’s Azerbaijan,” Pashinyan said.

He added that if journalists had examined the map, they would realize it could be just as inconvenient for Azerbaijan as it might be for Armenia.

“For example, it might show ‘Armenia’ but not ‘Azerbaijan’. If we start referring to Tsarist, Ottoman, Safavid, Khanate, or Caliphate maps, neither the Republic of Armenia nor the Republic of Azerbaijan appear on them,” he argued.

Calling the discussion pointless, especially after the August 8, 2025 Washington agreements, and the September 2024 border commission regulations, Pashinyan warned against falling into historical arguments that jeopardize the peace process.

“What political conclusion can you draw from the fact that the map says ‘Armenia’ but not ‘Azerbaijan’? That Vanadzor used to be called Kirovakan and Ganja was Kirovabad? So what? What does that mean?” he asked.

He also dismissed the assertion that certain place names are inherently Azerbaijani. “Who says those names are Azerbaijani? They’re Turkish, Persian, Arabic, Mongolian, some even Russian,” he said.

Addressing Aliyev’s comments about Azerbaijanis traveling to Armenia by car, Pashinyan stated that peace means Armenians should be able to drive to Baku and Azerbaijanis to Yerevan.

He concluded that dwelling on historical debates is a dangerous distraction and stressed the need to adhere to signed agreements.