Political analyst: Baku  attempting to dictate "boundaries of  permissibility" to Yerevan

ArmInfo.  Baku is trying to dictate "the boundaries of permissibility" to Yerevan, as  stated by political analyst Suren Surenyants on his Facebook page.

 "The Azerbaijani Ministry of Foreign Affairs 'strongly condemned' the  burning of the Turkish flag in Yerevan, calling for those responsible  to be held accountable and insisting that such actions cannot be  justified by freedom of speech. Flag burning, of course, cannot be  considered a constructive expression of political culture. However,  value components are certainly not the basis of Baku's response," the  political analyst emphasized.

Firstly, he continued, a selective approach is evident. Azerbaijan is  quick  to condemn the actions of private individuals in the capital  of another country, while committing an act of vandalism at the state  level, by destroying the Cathedral of the Holy Mother of God in  Stepanakert. Secondly, Baku is reacting to the burning of a Turkish,  rather than its own, national symbol, thereby not only reaffirming  its allied relations but also attempting to influence Armenia's  domestic agenda by shaping the "boundaries of what is permissible."

"Essentially, this is a political message from Baku, addressed to  both  the Armenian public and state institutions, with the aim of  influencing the country's internal relations and decisions. Just like  the demand to amend the Constitution. This reaction from Baku is not  simply the burning of a flag. It is part of a broader strategy to  exert pressure on Armenia, shape its domestic agenda, and dictate,  from a position of 'winner,' what is 'acceptable' and what is not,"  Suren Surenyants wrote.

Recall, during the April 23 torchlight procession, participants  burned a Turkish flag. This action has been condemned by Armenian  authorities, including Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan.