Nikol Pashinyan once again misled the public by omitting key facts.
Speaking about Azerbaijan’s national currency, Pashinyan claimed that the map printed on Azerbaijani banknotes depicts the Armenian exclave of Artsvashen in a different color, implying that it is not shown as Azerbaijani territory.
However, a fact-check by the Armenian investigative outlet Hetq found that this claim is misleading because it leaves out a crucial detail. According to the report, every Azerbaijani manat banknote issued since 2020 depicts Artsvashen as part of Azerbaijan, reflecting Baku’s territorial claim over the Armenian exclave.
While earlier versions of the banknote design have been referenced in discussions about the maps, Azerbaijan’s current banknote series no longer distinguishes Artsvashen as territory outside Azerbaijan. By highlighting only the different coloring without acknowledging that the territory is nevertheless shown within Azerbaijan’s borders, Pashinyan gave the false impression that the banknotes do not assert Azerbaijani sovereignty over Artsvashen.
The fact-check directly contradicts the impression left by Pashinyan’s remarks and underscores the continued sensitivity surrounding territorial claims between Armenia and Azerbaijan, where official maps, state symbols, and government-issued materials are closely scrutinized as indicators of each country’s position.
