Removing the Image of Ararat is a Dangerous Message: Suren Surenyants

According to a new decision by the Armenian government, starting from November 1, 2025, the image of Mount Ararat will no longer appear on the entrance or exit border stamp of Armenia. This was reported by political scientist Suren Surenyants.

“Minister Arsen Torosyan from the ruling party declares that the stamps have been aligned with the ideology of ‘Real Armenia’. This so-called ideology of ‘Real Armenia’ is part of the program of the ruling party, which is set to be approved at their congress on September 20. Why should state stamps comply with a party ideology rather than the state emblem enshrined in the Constitution of Armenia? This is a dangerous deviation that equates the state with a political party.

The image of Mount Ararat on our emblem does not imply territorial claims towards Turkey. It is a symbol of our civilizational memory, national identity, and cultural heritage. International examples clearly demonstrate—Hungary’s coat of arms includes historical territories that are no longer part of Hungary. Lithuania, Finland, and India also maintain historical-cultural images in their symbols that do not currently belong to their territory. And no one considers these as territorial claims.

The removal of Ararat from state symbols and stamps entails: 1. An attempt to revise civilizational identity, 2. A dangerous message for the delegitimization of Armenia on international platforms, 3. The prioritization of party interests over national interests. Ararat symbolizes our past, our historical memory, and our future. It has been preserved and must be maintained in state symbols as a core of national identity, and it can never be interpreted as a territorial claim against Turkey,” Surenyants wrote.