Burning Flags is a Sign of Weakness: Sargis Khandanyan

At some point, there must be a discussion on this topic, and I do not think that the majority of the citizens of Armenia are inspired by that sight. This was stated by Sargis Khandanyan, a member of the National Assembly from the ruling Civil Contract faction and chairman of the National Assembly's Foreign Relations Committee, during an interview with NEWS.am, addressing the fact that Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan had deemed the burning of Turkish and Azerbaijani flags provocative and unacceptable.

“It has nothing to do with whether that country is your enemy or adversary; what is the meaning of burning a flag? I can speak from my own experience; I was 17 years old and wanted to participate in a torch-lit march. When they burned the flag in the square, I turned back because, in my opinion, this is a sign of weakness, not strength. Because if you have a question with that country, any effort to resolve that issue is undermined by burning a flag. It was unpleasant even at the weightlifting championship,” he stated.

When asked how burning a flag is provocative, Khandanyan replied, “Well, one extra shot, one extra targeting of civilian infrastructure, these are interconnected things. There is genuinely no necessity for this, especially at a time when Armenia is striving for peace. Psychologically, it escalates the situation.”

In response to the remark that Azerbaijan has been firing in Syunik for over a month, how this can be related to burning a flag, he noted, “The difference is that that shot specifically targeted civilian infrastructure, and there could have been fatalities. And the timing of that and the correspondence of that timeline can raise the assumption that it was a response to that action. I believe that our figures who take such actions should approach the soldiers standing at the border and the residents of those localities with a certain sense of responsibility.”

Regarding the fact that 10 years ago, representatives of the Civil Contract party burned the Russian flag in Yerevan, Khandanyan stated, “I don’t recall a case of burning a flag, and if they did, it was very wrong; I condemn burning the flag of any state. Again, I say this is more a sign of weakness than any expression of bravery or strength.”