Government`s decision to remove Ararat from border stamps further  step toward dismantling identity - expert 

ArmInfo. The discussed decision of the Armenian government to remove Ararat from border stamps, made on the eve of the visit of the Turkish delegation to Yerevan, is a continuation of the dismantling of the country's  identity.

This opinion was expressed in his telegram channel by orientalist  Sergey Melkonyan, in connection with the decision previously made by  the Armenian government to remove Mount Ararat from border stamps  from November 1, 2025.

In this vein, Melkonyan expressed his conviction that Baku's demand  to change the Constitution of Armenia is connected not only with the  preamble, which contains a reference to the Declaration of  Independence mentioning Artsakh, but also with Article 21, which  concerns state symbols. As the orientalist recalled, according to  this article, Mount Ararat with Noah's Ark and the coats of arms of  the four kingdoms of historical Armenia are depicted on the shield in  the center of the coat of arms of the Republic of Armenia.

"Meanwhile, the German historian of religion Jan Assmann wrote: "Our  memory, which we possess as beings endowed with human reason, exists  only in constant interaction not only with the memories of other  people, but also with "things", external symbols. The destruction of  symbols leads to the destruction of identity. In this case, both  state and national," Melkonyan emphasized.

In turn, the deputy from the opposition faction "Armenia" Kristine  Vardanyan drew attention to the fact that the current Minister of  Labor and Social Affairs Arsen Torosyan, touching on the reasons, the  image was allegedly removed from the stamp for the reason that it is  not on the seal of any other country.

According to the oppositionist, while the ruling party is trying to  prove to everyone that they are not fulfilling the preliminary  conditions of the Azerbaijani side for signing a peace treaty, at the  request of Azerbaijan, the process of changing the Constitution was  initiated, and the issue of recognizing the Armenian Genocide was  removed from the agenda.

"Moreover, every time the head of a state recognizes the fact of the  Armenian Genocide, the Armenian authorities condemn such statements,  convincing everyone that this does not give anything to the country,"  the MP noted, adding that the Armenian authorities, at the request of  Ankara, removed all references to Mount Ararat in the country.

Earlier, as the oppositionist recalled, another demand of Azerbaijan  was fulfilled to dissolve the OSCE Minsk Group, refuse to deploy  third forces on the border, and refuse to strengthen the army.  "However, can someone who supports this policy and believes that we  are "cloaking" this topic in darkness, since there is no alternative  to this, say at what point these demands will be met - when we reach  the thesis of "let's give up Yerevan, otherwise there will be war"?"  Vardanyan was indignant.

In connection with the situation, Artur Khachatryan, a member of  parliament from the opposition faction "Armenia", also expressed his  position. He called such a decision another manifestation of the  subordination of the Armenian authorities.

The deputy expressed his conviction that this was the price for the  arrival in Yerevan of the special representative of Turkey for the  normalization of relations with Armenia Serdar Kilic or the  fulfillment of another whim of Turkish President Recep Erdogan with  the aim of humiliating.

"Now imagine what they will demand from Prime Minister Nikol  Pashinyan for a more serious "compromise". For example, that before  the elections he be praised and the people who agree with him be  intimidated by the opposition and war," the MP summed up.

On September 11, the Armenian government adopted amendments according  to which, starting from November 1, 2025, the symbol of Mount Ararat  will no longer be on entry stamps in Armenian passports.  This, as  many users believe, is another concession by Pashinyan to Turkey and  Azerbaijan in achieving an "era of peace" from the perspective that  Armenia has no territorial claims against genocidal Turkey.