Freedom House's Nations in Transit 2024 report downgraded Armenia's democracy score. It also highlighted the spread of autocracy in the region, emphasizing that Western democracies have been inconsistent and hesitant in defending international norms, enabling autocracies to evade accountability.

As the procurement of Indian weapons by Armenia has come under the spotlight, various Indian outlets, ranging from credible publications to blogs, have extensively and often speculatively covered Armenia’s arms acquisitions, underscoring the need to clarify the details. Hovhannes Nazaretyan’s investigation.

A high-level meeting designed to support Armenia’s economic resilience took place in Brussels on April 5 and was met with criticism by Azerbaijan and Russia. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explains.

Azerbaijan has been demanding Armenia withdraw from four villages in the Tavush region. There is much confusion around what these villages are and what a potential withdrawal could mean for Armenia. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explains.

Built in 1902 as a bank, and later functioning as a hospital, 54 Aram Street now stands neglected, its historic significance marred by decay. Despite recent approval for restoration, its fate remains uncertain and its owner, a former Minister of Health, isn’t divulging much information.

The latest survey by the International Republican Institute, conducted in December 2023, reveals the consolidation of public distrust in Russia, strong support for the Government’s pivot toward the West, and a growing sophistication in the Armenian public’s understanding of its complex security concerns.

Landlocked Armenia, surrounded on two sides by unrelenting foes, has limited access to the outside world. Railways could potentially help alleviate this isolation by providing reliable outside connections for trade and passenger traffic.

Armenia’s statistics agency recently released its annual report on a number of socio-economic metrics covering sectors from trade to tourism to employment and inflation. Hovhannes Nazaretyan presents some of the more interesting findings reflecting the state of the country.

The issue of tiny but strategically placed Soviet-era enclaves in Armenia and Azerbaijan has come to the forefront of peace talks in recent months. Hovhannes Nazaretyan maps it out.

As the geopolitical landscape in the South Caucasus remains precarious, potential changes in EU and U.S. leadership can pose additional challenges for Armenia. Amid these uncertainties, Armenia's diplomatic efforts become increasingly important and serve as a test of its resilience.

Armenia trades with three of its four neighboring countries, except Azerbaijan. Land borders with Georgia and Iran serve as crucial lifelines for Armenia, connecting the landlocked country to the global market.

In the past year, especially since the major Azerbaijani incursion into Armenia in September 2022, the Armenian government has made diversification of the country’s security, including arms procurement, a priority. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explains.

The home of Aram Manukyan, widely recognized as the founder of the First Armenian Republic, located on 9 Aram Street in downtown Yerevan, continues to be abandoned and dilapidated and its future uncertain.

In the first hearing in the U.S. Congress since the ethnic cleansing of the indigenous Armenian population of Nagorno-Karabakh by Azerbaijan, U.S. officials warn Baku that the use of force against Armenia is “completely unacceptable.”

Armenia has faced significant challenges in arms procurement since the end of the 2020 war. This article looks at the timeline of defense cooperation between Yerevan and Paris as France is emerging as one of Armenia’s key defense partners.

Thousands of mercenaries from Syria were deployed by Turkey to Azerbaijan during the 2020 Artsakh War. In one of the most comprehensive reports on the use of mercenaries to date, Hovhannes Nazaretyan provides extensive background, evidence and international reactions.

With the Artsakh Republic ethnically cleansed by Azerbaijan, over 100,000 forcibly displaced Armenians from Artsakh are now in Armenia facing many challenges. Several UN agencies have provided support and a number of countries have offered aid.

In Shushi, the Aliyev regime gathered a mix of journalists from state agencies of mostly authoritarian countries, pro-Azerbaijani analysts, and “useful idiots” for a Global Media Forum on July 21-23. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explains.

Much has been written about Armenia’s political and security ties, including its dependence and overreliance on Russia. Hovhannes Nazaretyan provides an overview of Russian control and influence in Armenia's economy.

For the first time, foreigners found themselves caught in the crosshairs of an unprovoked Azerbaijani attack on Armenian territory. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explains.

In the first of a series of articles about privatized and abandoned historic buildings in Armenia’s capital, Hovhannes Nazaretyan looks at the privatization process and current condition of the former Ministry of Foreign Affairs building in Yerevan’s Republic Square.

Russia's perceived unwillingness to assist Armenia and fulfill its treaty obligations during times of crisis has compelled both the Armenian government and the general public to seek new allies. France, the U.S., EU and Iran have emerged as potential frontrunners.

May 3 is World Press Freedom Day and on that occasion Reporters Without Borders released its 2023 World Press Freedom Index. While Armenia’s ranking improved, concerns about impartiality and the business interests of media owners persists.

Armenia has achieved significant progress in utilizing renewable energy sources, primarily through hydropower. However, the majority of the country’s electricity still comes from non-renewable sources. Hovhannes Nazaretyan breaks it down.

Armenia's alcoholic beverage industry is a prominent sector in the country’s economy. Production and trade data for brandy, wine and beer showcase a dynamic pattern of growth. Hovhannes Nazaretyan explains.

Armenia has voted on a variety of conflicts and issues at the UN, including at the General Assembly and the Human Rights Council. An analysis of its voting patterns reveals some overlooked aspects of Armenia’s foreign policy and its evolution.

Armenia’s Statistical Committee recently published its annual report on a variety of socio-economic metrics. Driven by the effects of the Russo-Ukrainian war, Armenia saw robust economic growth, dramatic upturn in international trade, IT, and banking.

Why has the UN Security Council failed to react in a meaningful way to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict? Hovhannes Nazaretyan looks at some of the possible reasons.

Over a year after Russian troops were deployed to Artsakh, here’s what we know about the Russian presence there, with the historical background for Moscow’s drive for boots on the ground in Artsakh.

Following the early parliamentary election that saw the Civil Contract hold on to power, upcoming municipal elections will give opposition parties, including those with no seats in parliament, a shot at gaining footholds throughout the country.

Armenian cultural, religious and historical monuments and sites currently under Azerbaijani control in the aftermath of the 2020 Artsakh War are under immediate threat of vandalism and destruction.

Lucrative economic ties with Azerbaijan have influenced the United Kingdom, Italy and Hungary, among others, in their stance during and after the 2020 Artsakh War.

When Armenia declared independence in 1991, there was still a large contingent of Soviet troops in the country. Russian military presence, however, stretches back to the early 19th century and now, after the 2020 Artsakh War, is expanding.

For nearly three decades, Armenia and Azerbaijan have been buying large quantities of weapons from a number of countries. Hovhannes Nazaretyan presents a comprehensive list of weapons acquired by both countries since independence.

Armenia’s air defense systems were largely ineffective against the onslaught of combat and reconnaissance UAVs used by the Azerbaijani military. The single most important UAV used in the 2020 Artsakh War was the Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2.

From widespread collectivization of farms during the Soviet era to privatization after independence in 1991, the state of agriculture in the three countries of the South Caucasus.

The Caucasus Barometer survey conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the country, reveals that the overall mood of the Armenian public was optimistic.

Armenia’s parliament recently passed the “Law on the Confiscation of Illegally-Acquired Assets.” It is portrayed as a major anti-corruption measure and according to authorities is aimed at former and current officials.

From those who survived the Armenian Genocide to those who moved to Soviet Armenia during the Great Repatriation of the 1940s, Western Armenians contributed to Yerevan’s incredible rise as a major city, turning it into the heart and soul of the Armenian nation.

Three decades after the catastrophic Spitak Earthquake, Hovhannes Nazaretyan takes a look back at how that tragedy was covered by one of America’s most prestigious newspapers.

A prominent Armenian Bolshevik activist and head of the Baku Commune Stepan Shahumyan’s ghost now wanders through his native Caucasus. Armenians have largely forgotten his century-old verbal attacks on nationalism and insistence on internationalist fraternity of peoples, yet his statues remain and streets, villages and towns are named after him in Armenia and Artsakh.

A tucked away city within a city, the district of Kond in Yerevan has a rich history and a promising future only if authorities undertake a large-scale restoration. What are the stories of Kond and what does the future hold for one of the oldest quarters in the country’s capital?

The Amulsar gold mine, owned and operated by Lydian Armenia, is one of the most controversial projects in recent years in Armenia. Over the past weekend, activists from Yerevan and elsewhere traveled to the province of Vayots Dzor to raise awareness about the potential danger the mine poses to the environment.