Politics

Georgia’s “foreign agent law” was introduced and subsequently pulled from parliament after massive protests erupted opposing the move. Karena Avedissian looks at the implications for the wider region had the law passed.

Azerbaijan’s threat of military aggression and ethnic cleansing of Nagorno-Karabakh’s indigenous Armenian population remains extremely critical. If not prevented, it will constitute another major blow to the international order.

On February 22, 2023, by a near unanimous vote, the International Court of Justice ordered Azerbaijan to ensure free movement of persons, cargo and other goods along the Lachin Corridor. Sheila Paylan explains.

The EU civilian monitoring mission launched today is expected to be a deterrent to potential new Azerbaijani offensives through its political leverage and physical presence. Armenia must, however, restore its security and defense sector to defend its territory and people.

Armenian experts help make sense of the ongoing discussions surrounding a possible peace deal between Baku and Yerevan, and what developments can actually be expected in the coming months.

Azerbaijan’s behavior meets all of the criteria that triggers the implementation of the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle. The international community must resolutely raise this issue in order to deter the Aliyev regime from continuing its predatory policies.

Relations between Armenians and Kurds date back to the time of the Medes. The relationship has fluctuated, sometimes uniting, other times dividing the two peoples living on the same land and now facing the same threats.

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.

The United Nations Security Council’s emergency meeting regarding the blockade of the Lachin corridor demonstrated a remarkable shift in the international community’s reaction to the Armenia-Azerbaijan and Nagorno-Karabakh conflicts.

Statements made by Ilham Aliyev over the past two years prove that Baku will never guarantee the rights and security of the people of Artsakh, since state sponsored hate propaganda has made Azerbaijan the number one threat to the survival of the Armenians of Artsakh.

A group of Azerbaijani “environmental activists” blocked the Lachin Corridor on December 12, effectively isolating the population of Artsakh. Later, Azerbaijani authorities shut off the natural gas supply to the Republic triggering a pending humanitarian catastrophe. The blockade of Artsakh continues. Live updates on the unfolding situation.

Armenian experts were hardly under the illusion that the CSTO would fulfill its statutory obligations toward Armenia, given strong military and political ties between Azerbaijan and some CSTO members.

In Nagorno-Karabakh, the consequences of upholding Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity entails the imminent threat to the indigenous Armenian population that is no different than Kosovo, Timor-Leste or South Sudan: the inevitability of ethnic cleaning and genocide.

The scope of gross human rights violations that ethnic Armenians were subjected to during and after the 2020 Artsakh War contributes to the body of empirical data that could be used if Armenia were to become a party to the Rome Statute.

Who is the most influential and determined mediator to prevent the possibility of another aggression against Artsakh or Armenia? The answer will define who can be the main guarantor of peace for the South Caucasus.

An interview by Gaidz Minassian with former French Co-Chair of the OSCE Minsk Group and former French Ambassador to Ukraine, Jacques Faure, who discusses the Ukraine-Russia and Armenia-Azerbaijan wars.

After almost three decades of remaining on the sidelines of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict negotiation process, the EU has now stepped in, positioning itself as a mediator in the Armenian-Azerbaijani conciliation process.

Ongoing security threats by Azerbaijani Armed Forces since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War have prompted Armenian policy makers to speed up planned upgrades to the country’s transport infrastructure. Raffi Elliot explains.

Historian Suren Manukyan discusses the process, mechanisms and goals of the international recognition of the Armenian Genocide.

A new video emerged of war crimes committed by Azerbaijani troops. The most viable way to have any real accountability for such crimes is for Armenia to sign and ratify the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Azerbaijan has made an enormous strategic mistake, Russia has allowed for a sizable power vacuum in the region, and the United States has determined to capitalize on these developments, undertaking a policy pivot in the South Caucasus.

No analysis, no commentary, just facts: How Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev ideologically prepared Azerbaijani society for war not only against Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh), but also Armenia-proper.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a major attack on the sovereign territory of the Republic of Armenia at approximately midnight on September 13, 2022. A US-brokered ceasefire came into effect late on the evening of September 14, which continues to hold.

A recent IRI survey provides expansive empirical evidence in understanding political developments in Armenia over the last six months; the activities and stated objectives of the opposition have enhanced the current government's favorability.

Baku’s aggressive rhetoric must not be normalized. In spite of their geopolitical, oil and gas interests, major international players should define their red lines, refrain from a policy of parity and prevent further military aggression by Azerbaijan.

If the EU is honest in its commitment to make peace possible in the South Caucasus, then it needs to address Baku’s ongoing anti-Armenian rhetoric and policy of creating permanent tensions on the borders to pressure Armenia for further concessions.

After its military victory in the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan elevated its war of narratives against Armenians to a new and increasingly aggressive level, often accompanied with disinformation.

Azerbaijan’s motivations, strategy, manipulation, and attempts to legitimize its every military aggression against Artsakh are gross violations of the November 9, 2020 tripartite statement that ended the 2020 Artsakh War.

Just days after Azerbaijan’s most recent military attack, local authorities in Nagorno-Karabakh instructed residents of the Armenian village of Aghavno to leave their homes by August 25, when it is scheduled to be handed over to Azerbaijani control.

The 2020 Artsakh War exposed a number of myths and misconceptions in Armenia and among Armenians toward the West. Taline Papazian reviews some of those misconceptions and outlines current Western engagement in Armenia and the region.

Past crimes and crimes against humanity taking place today are being used by various international players to serve their interests, at times solving practical problems and dramatically increasing the political weight and importance of the genocide factor.

Baku’s oil economy is not sustainable, as diminishing revenues in the long-term increase the probability of domestic instability in Azerbaijan, potentially triggering militarized interstate disputes.

In this next installment of a series on the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Sossi Tatikyan presents a way forward given the current situation to ensure security guarantees for the Artsakh Armenians and mark progress in the conflict’s resolution.

The global response to secessionist inter-ethnic conflicts is shaped by a number of factors, from the extent of the threat of ethnic cleansing, to possession and instrumentalization of energy sources and more. Sossi Tatikyan explains.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has shaken the European continent, and there is one non-conventional weapon—energy supply—that is playing a big role. What are the opportunities for Azerbaijan and the implications for Armenia and Artsakh?

In order to understand what may happen to Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh if appropriate international guarantees for security and human rights are not put in place for them, Sossi Tatikyan presents the evolution of several comparable conflicts.

In Part 1 of a three-part series, Sossi Tatikyan analyzes the uncertainties and possible scenarios for Nagorno-Karabakh if Armenia’s leadership goes ahead with the recognition of Azerbaijan’s territorial integrity.

The West is openly implying that it intends to remain involved in the resolution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, even as its relations with Russia could potentially hobble the OSCE Minsk Group Co-chairmanship.

French voters will head to the polls on April 24 to vote in the second round of their presidential election for either Emmanuel Macron or Marine Le Pen. With so much at stake in Armenia and Artsakh, how will French-Armenians cast their vote?

Since Armenia’s independence, every administration has been involved in some form of negotiations with Turkey to normalize relations. Hranoush Dermoyan looks back at the diplomatic history between Armenia and Turkey since 1991.

The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan met in Brussels on April 6, 2022, on the initiative of the European Council president. Why is the EU taking an interest now when it was a mere observer during the 2020 Artsakh War?

The impossible situation that Armenia finds itself in because of the Russo-Ukraine conflict can be mitigated through a policy known as strategic shirking, argues Nerses Kopalyan.

Reckless steps or imposed decisions regarding demarcation and delimitation, which are part and parcel of the so-called peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan, might bring unintended historical consequences for the future of Armenia.

Baku is consistently thwarting all post-war negotiations and existing formats, as the sole agenda of Aliyev’s regime is the total annihilation of Armenians from Artsakh, and possibly even the Republic of Armenia.

Media commentators, analysts and historians have all scrambled to draw historical parallels to make sense of Putin’s recent aggression toward Ukraine, but there have been relatively few nuanced references to World War I.

Azerbaijan openly announced that it would begin to destroy the Armenian cultural heritage of Artsakh and erase traces of the Armenian language from monuments. The European Parliament is one of the first institutions that has reacted to this Armenophobic policy.

In trying to understand what nationalism is or if it can be strictly national, this article re-examines the Armenian national movement of the 19th century in relation to the Italian Risorgimento.

Given the strategic significance of the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, the power to implement the Montreux Convention underscores the strategic importance that Turkey retains due to its geography.

Sossi Tatikyan looks at the risks and opportunities for ensuring the security of Armenians in Nagorno-Karabakh in the post-war situation and in the current turbulent international context.

Amid the war in Ukraine and economic turmoil in Russia, the Armenian government has been quick to open its doors to Ukrainian, Russian and Belarusian citizens who want to relocate to Armenia or find temporary refuge.

In its historic “Uniting for Peace” session, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution reaffirming Ukrainian sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity. Sossi Tatikyan explains why Armenia abstained.

Reviewing Armenia's national security policy and modernizing the Armed Forces should be based not only on the approaches and views of the government and other state bodies, but also on the active cross-section of civil society.

By meeting Azerbaijan’s demand for a €2 billion financial package to participate in “restoration and reconstruction”, the European Union is casting into doubt its sincerity in supporting democratic values in the South Caucasus.

Armenia and Ukraine seem to have found themselves diametrically opposed on a variety of issues. However, Yerevan and Kyiv would benefit from a pragmatic relationship despite their seemingly disparate positions.

Armenia’s President Armen Sarkissian resigned on January 24, 2022. While the timing might have come as a surprise, Sarkissian made no secret about being frustrated with the role over the past year. Harout Manougian explains.

2021 was a difficult year for the Armenian nation as it continued to confront external threats, Azerbaijani incursions into its sovereign territory and an unclear future for both Armenia and Artsakh. Here we present a brief overview of the main events from the past year.

Through a number of developing steps, the EU wants to open a space for a greater role in the South Caucasus and particularly in managing the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, which is now dominated by Russia and Turkey, writes Anna Barseghyan.

Human Rights Day is observed on December 10 each year to celebrate the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. There have been several cases in which the European Court of Human Rights has found Armenia violated the protected rights of citizens.

In light of Azerbaijan’s aggressive military operations, the international community’s response and the formation of a format for the delimitation and demarcation process, Sossi Tatikyan offers comprehensive suggestions on potential formats and phases.

On December 7, the International Court of Justice announced its decision regarding the request for provisional measures by Armenia and Azerbaijan, marking the next stage in the ongoing conflict between the two states.

A year after the end of the war in Artsakh, Armenia and Azerbaijan are far from a sustainable peace. Regardless of how many olive branches are gifted to the leaders of the two sides, we are once again back to a “no war, no peace” situation, writes Tatev Hayrapetyan.

This concept paper undertakes a reconfiguration of Armenia’s doctrinal policy on Nagorno-Karabakh, thus formulating the empirical and legal basis to develop a grand strategy on the concept of remedial sovereignty.

Between Paris and Yerevan, the declarations of friendship abound. But rare are those who evoke the failures of this friendship. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the Franco-Armenian affinity?

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, Russia has enjoyed an effective monopoly over the negotiation process. Recent initiatives by the EU suggest that Europe may be taking a more proactive role in the South Caucasus.

On November 16, 2021, Azerbaijani Armed Forces launched a large-scale offensive along the eastern border of Armenia, resulting in intense battles. There are confirmed casualties and wounded. Live Updates.

Back in early October, a resident of Martakert was shot dead by Azerbaijani fire while he was driving a tractor. A Russian peacekeeper was sitting right beside him at the time. What is behind Azerbaijan’s provocations?

The UK embassy in Azerbaijan and British companies were very active during and after the 2020 Artsakh War. While the spilled blood was still fresh, British businesses were already focused on the profits to be made.

Back in the 2010s, Armenian policymakers were too short-sighted to assess the implications that the Arab Spring had for our own country. Does the recent American withdrawal from Afghanistan have any significance for Armenia?

Azerbaijan and Turkey are not interested in peace. With the new realities on the ground following Azerbaijan’s military success, the Armenian Government should be careful when promising an “era of peace” to its people.

What has Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War revealed? Tigran Yegavian reviews a recently published White Paper that looks at a number of misconceptions, failures and dysfunctions within Armenian statehood and attempts to diagnose those ills and offer possible solutions.

Since the end of the 2020 Artsakh War, tensions between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Azerbaijan have been escalating. Although an outright military confrontation seems unlikely, it would have devastating consequences for the region.

Armenia instituted proceedings against Azerbaijan at the International Court of Justice on the basis of violations of the Convention on Elimination of Racial Discrimination. A week later, Azerbaijan submitted its own claim against Armenia. Gabriel Armas-Cardona breaks it down.

Dictators are emboldened by the silence of those who claim to be proponents of human rights and justice. Turkey’s Erdogan and Azerbaijan’s Aliyev must be held accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity, writes Irina Ghaplanyan.

Armenia will be looking to take advantage of its chairmanship of the CSTO to create a new Crisis Response Center. If its supposed allies continue their indifference even at the organizational stage, they should all be asking themselves why they are together in the first place.

After launching an attack against Artsakh in 2020, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev has taken every opportunity to take personal credit for Azerbaijan’s military successes, along with his family.

Azerbaijani Armed Forces used internationally banned cluster bombs and weapons containing white phosphorus during the 2020 Artsakh War. The use of incendiary weapons caused severe burns to dozens of soldiers and irreversible loss to the environment.

By extending its expansionism from land to sea, straining regional relationships and traditional alliances, Turkey is testing its limits and can expect to find itself in deeper conflicts when it finally reaches them.

What happens when a couple only has a church wedding, but not a civil marriage? What about couples that have done neither but are living and raising a family together? These unions are not legally recognized in Armenia’s Family Law leading to a lot of problems down the road.

Developments after the 2020 Artsakh War reveal that Azerbaijan has no intention to work toward regional peace and stability. Together with Turkey, Baku aims to change the regional structure at the expense of Armenia’s security interests and needs.

Severely restricting the professional work of journalists in the country’s National Assembly is unprecedented and unacceptable, writes Shushan Doydoyan, founder of the Freedom of Information Center.

Securing a technological edge is critical to the competitiveness of the Armenian Armed Forces. Yet reforming the military’s technology ecosystem in isolation will not resolve the country’s festering security woes.

Following the results of the June parliamentary election, which brought Nikol Pashinyan’s Civil Contract back to power, all the ministerial posts have now been filled.

As Armenia seeks to develop a new national security framework following the defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War, relations with Iran could play an increasingly important role.

What was posed as a border demarcation issue further threatens regional stability in the South Caucasus. The current mounting military action is not sustainable; the process must revert back to international norms, writes Sossi Tatikyan.

Following the 2020 Artsakh War, the creation of a new geopolitical reality in the region by Baku and Ankara opened a "Pandora's Box" forcing the main stakeholders to re-articulate their geopolitical agenda.

After remaining on the sidelines of the 2020 Artsakh War, the EU seems to be back with a renewed and impressive strategy for Armenia. With this new agenda, is the EU trying to counterbalance the influence of other regional players?

Today marks the one year anniversary of the Tavush clashes. This article looks into the chronology of events as they developed, the subsequent narrative that was perpetuated in Armenia and Azerbaijan, and the consequent reactions of regional and international powers.

One of the most important dimensions of Armenian-EU cooperation is the energy sector. The EU has expressed a willingness to support Armenia in designing an energy strategy and policy, including security and diversification of the energy supply.

Armenia’s defeat in the 2020 Artsakh War was a collective failure of all state bodies and institutions. The new Armenian government must construct a foreign policy doctrine defined by “strategic engagement.”

After its victory in the 2020 Artsakh War, Azerbaijan started massive restoration projects in the seven conquered regions of the Republic of Artsakh. These projects will undoubtedly impact Armenia.

Armenian citizens are heading to the polls on June 20 in an early parliamentary election. Over 20 parties and alliances of parties are running. Here is the foreign policy section of the programs of seven of those political forces in order of their position on the ballot.

Daniel Tahmazyan explores different perceptions of Time as it relates to the State, and the role they play in long-term vs. short-term planning.

More than two weeks after Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed into Armenian territory, six Armenian soldiers were surrounded and captured, escalating the already tense situation in Armenia’s border regions.

Armenia’s security infrastructure requires a robust defense doctrine, expansive reforms, rearticulation of geopolitical and geostrategic realities, closing the gap in power disparity with regional actors and competent institutional structures.

Nine days after Azerbaijani Armed Forces crossed into Armenian territory in the Syunik and Gegharkunik regions, the standoff continues. The absence of a resolution and the potential of a military confrontation has the people of Armenia on edge. Here is a timeline of events.

A day after the trilateral agreement ending the 2020 Artsakh War was signed, the first contingents of Russian peacekeepers were deployed. Six months in, clarifications regarding the size, mandate and mission of the peacekeepers are still not clear.

Armenia is at the wrong end of global cyber security indexes. The lack of a comprehensive cyber security national policy makes the country's network and information systems vulnerable. The 2020 Artsakh War clearly proved this.

Azerbaijan increased its military spending by 17% in 2020; this was among the largest annual increases in Eastern Europe and Eurasia. Ani Avetisyan breaks down the numbers of the military expenditures of both Armenia and Azerbaijan.

The Treaty of Moscow reaffirmed, almost identically, the borders laid out in the Treaty of Alexandropol. Armenia, thus, conceded 20,000 square kilometers to Turkey. Mikayel Yalanuzyan reveals the details of those turbulent times.

Following months of protests, Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan announced his formal resignation, triggering the process that is expected to lead to an early parliamentary election in June 2021. He will remain acting PM until then.

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.

The Comprehensive and Enhanced Partnership Agreement between Armenia and the EU came into force on March 1, 2021. Will it serve as a stepping stone to develop and extend the scope of the partnership?

Azerbaijan and Turkey are highly incentivized to make the Meghri corridor a reality as soon as possible. For Azerbaijan it’s to have a direct link with its exclave of Nakhijevan. For Turkey, it opens up a direct connection with Azerbaijan and the Turkic world beyond.

Political efficacy has been replaced with a wave of voter alienation among a large percentage of Armenia’s electorate. With snap parliamentary elections set for June 20, these issues will be front and center.

Proposed changes to Armenia’s Electoral Code began in the summer of 2018. Almost three years later, the electoral reform bill has been sent to the Venice Commission for an expert opinion. Will the bill make its way into law before potential early elections, if at all?

The lifting of blockades is presented as a benefit for Armenia, but some business leaders doubt that the Government is prepared for accompanying risks to the Armenian economy.

The November 10 ceasefire agreement ended the 2020 Artsakh War, but the issue of demarcating the new state borders between Armenia and Azerbaijan has been a major concern since then.

The 2020 Artsakh War put to the test long-held assumptions about the roles of neighbors and global players in the region. Some maintained and reinforced their significance and role in the region, others raised their importance and some were invisible.

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.

Armenia’s top military brass called for Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation on Thursday. Pashinyan considered it to be an attempt at a military coup and said that the era of leniency is over. A recap of the deepening political tensions in the country.

Many assumed that Turkey’s direct involvement in the 2020 Artsakh War and thereby its intrusion into Russia’s “near abroad” would be met with hostility by Russia, or at least vocal condemnation. The reaction was mild, writes Zaven Sargsian.

Given the growing sense of global multipolarity and the apparent twilight years of the American-anchored liberal international order, Armenia cannot solely rely on friends and allies around the globe to ensure its survival. A more realistic approach is necessary.

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.

Harout Manougian presents a comprehensive overview of the different alliances and government coalitions in parliamentary elections since Armenia’s independence in 1991.

The operation of the Southern Gas Corridor raises the geopolitical significance of Azerbaijan and Turkey, contributing to the further isolation of Armenia from regional projects. The EU seems to limit its concern about human rights violations and war crimes in Artsakh to mere lip service.

The EU’s weak stance and incapacity to act during a time of great need for the Armenian people still reverberates. Today, Armenians are asking themselves if they can afford to trust the EU again.

The 2020 Artsakh War changed the geopolitical picture in the South Caucasus, impacting all the countries in the region. While there were clear winners and losers, some countries both won and lost.

Azerbaijan’s premeditated war against Karabakh was a blow to the prevailing world order, particularly the principle that international disputes be resolved through peaceful means. The world powers must condemn Azerbaijan’s violation and mitigate the damage it has caused.

In December 2020, the EU passed the Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy, equipping its foreign policy arsenal with a powerful new tool to protect human rights. Armenians should be paying close attention to how it will be used.

Will the formation of a Truth Commission on the 2020 Artsakh War make it possible to rectify persistent and systemic errors that led to such military and geopolitical failures?

Armenia’s President expressed his desire to re-introduce direct presidential elections to Armenia. Doing so could place a stumbling block in the way of Armenia’s democratic consolidation.

A coalition of 16 political parties and others have been demanding the resignation of Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan following the Russian-brokered trilateral agreement that ended the 2020 Artsakh War.

Turkey, Georgia and Azerbaijan institutionalized their triangle long before the 2020 Artsakh War and have established deep roots of cooperation.

Throughout the 2020 Artsakh War, the UK Government was mostly impotent, writes James Derounian. It instead has and continues to provide blind, sometimes tacit, support for Turkey directly and its ally Azerbaijan indirectly.

We have a maximum of five years to significantly improve the security of the country along a number of fronts, requiring a collective will, sacrifices, trade-offs and personal choices unlike anything most of us have faced in our lifetimes, writes Raffi Kassarjian.

The isolationism of former global powers in a fractured world has left vulnerable countries at the mercy of power-hungry regional players.

Taking into account Turkey’s overt support to Azerbaijan during the 2020 Artsakh War, Armenia’s government has decided to ban the import of Turkish goods for six months. The ban will take effect on December 31 of this year.

Following Armenia’s major military defeat in Artsakh, many people in the country, including a number of political forces, are calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan. Such a move could trigger a number of different scenarios.

The 2020 Karabakh War has had regional implications for neighboring countries, specifically on Iranian public and foreign policy. Hamed Kazemzadeh looks at the internal and external dimensions of Iran’s stance.

Ilham Aliyev’s gamble is doomed to fail. His risk calculation and management toolbox is inherently defective. The initial military advantage of his army had clear drivers which the Defense Army of Artsakh has now fully identified, unearthed and contextualized.

The inclusion of the term genocide is not being loosely thrown around. As the war rages on, the potential for genocide against ethnic Armenians in Artsakh is very real and highly probable, writes Suren Manukyan.

The Azerbaijani-Turkish joint venture of transplanting mercenaries into Azerbaijan has the potential to turn the region into a new hub of sectarian violence and create a security breakdown for the wider region. Here is the EU response.

While Iran's response to the current escalation is neutral and balanced, there are concerns about Azerbaijan's desire for a military solution, Turkey's involvement and the arrival of terrorists in the region.

A number of international media outlets have published stories about Syrian militants who have been offered up to $1500/month by Turkey to fight alongside the Azerbaijani military.

Armenia’s new National Security Strategy has adopted a holistic approach to security as traditionally perceived by many in the country, but the structure of the document could be streamlined further.

This time, the EU's assessment of the presidential election in Belarus is critically different from that of the 2015 presidential election, when Lukashenka was awarded 84% of the vote. Anna Barseghyan takes a closer look at European reaction.

Dual citizens cannot run in Armenian parliamentary elections, but that hasn’t always been the case.

The main catchphrase this month in Belarus is “We don’t want a Ukraine scenario, we want an Armenia scenario,” writes Ales Plotka about the ongoing protests in Belarus following fraudulent presidential elections in August.

How common is your Armenian name? How many genocide survivors remain in Armenia? Which are Armenia’s largest cities? An analysis of Armenia’s voter list reveals the answers.

Since the adoption of the constitutional changes, the reform process of the Constitutional Court has continued. Lusine Sargsyan looks back at some of key developments that have unfolded during the past two months.

Several political parties in Armenia are members of officially registered European political parties in the European Parliament. This affiliation offers an opportunity to deepen international cooperation and conduct parliamentary diplomacy.

It was only when Armenians in Russia came under direct provocations and attack by Azerbaijanis, that community members mobilized, writes Narine Vlasyan and ponders if this is what it takes for the Russian-Armenian community to get organized.

COVID-19 tested governments around the world and has shown the need for global cooperation. Anna Barseghyan looks at EU and EAEU assistance to Armenia over the last several months.

For nearly three months, a tracking system overseeing the phone calls and locations of citizens has been implemented to prevent the spread of COVID-19. EVN Report’s Astghik Karapetyan talked to several experts on the efficiency, flaws and possible dangers of the system.

July 24 marked the first Muslim prayer service in the Hagia Sophia in almost 90 years. Erdogan’s neo-Ottoman policies are also reverting other aspects of Turkish society back to a bygone era.

A soldier who was critically injured during clashes at the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border has died, bringing the death toll to five; Pashinyan says the right of the people of Artsakh to self-determination, the security of Armenia and Artsakh are not subject to concessions.

The latest IRI poll shows that 71% are satisfied with how the Armenian government has handled the COVID-19 situation, but apprehension about future economic consequences remain.

Over the last several days, the situation on the state border seems to have entered a period of relative calm. Moving beyond repair of damaged infrastructure and residential homes, more comprehensive development projects to be implemented in Tavush.

The flare-up of violence on the Armenia-Azerbaijan state border triggered a chain of reactions in Azerbaijan and Turkey. Historian Vahram Ter-Matevosyan examines the domestic situation in Azerbaijan and the implications of Turkish involvement.

This article discusses the progress made in the UN toward identifying threats to international peace and security arising from the use of ICT, introducing mechanisms to build an international framework for cybersecurity and stability.

Residents of the border villages and towns in the Tavush region are trying to return to their normal routine as the situation at the state border seems to have stabilized. However, for now, it is an uneasy calm.

Using large-caliber artillery, Azerbaijani Special Forces launched an attack early this morning on Armenian border posts breaking the fragile ceasefire. After being forced to retreat, they began shelling Armenian border villages.

After three days of intensive fighting, the situation at the Armenian-Azerbaijani state border has been relatively calm; medals posthumously awarded to four fallen Armenian servicemen; Su-30SM fighter jets to be on permanent duty to ensure Armenia’s air space is inviolable; injured soldiers and families of killed soldiers to receive compensation and more.

That the same people who made a mockery of democracy are now lamenting an imaginary backsliding, is intellectually insulting to the Armenian citizen, writes Nerses Kopalyan.

In a third day of deadly fighting along the Armenia-Azerbaijan international border, four Armenian soldiers are killed; a number of border villages continue to sustain Azerbaijani fire; cyberattack targets Armenian government and media websites; Armenian Air Defense Units shoot down an Azerbaijani drone and more.

After an attempt by Azerbaijani soldiers to cross over the Armenian border on July 12, tensions escalated between the two sides, leaving at least four Azerbaijani soldiers dead and an already fragile region rattled.

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 Government approved the Strategy on Armenian Police Reform and its accompanying action plan back in April. Will the implementation of this new strategy help to heal decades of mistrust?

During an extraordinary session, Armenia’s National Assembly initiated and unanimously approved a set of Constitutional amendments to address the crisis of political and institutional legitimacy of the Constitutional Court.

Armenian authorities have confirmed repeatedly that visa liberalization with the EU is one of the government’s top priorities, however, issues still remain.

The leader of the opposition Prosperous Armenia Party, tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan was stripped of his parliamentary immunity to face criminal charges and be held in detention. A Yerevan court, however, ruled that he will not be held in pre-trial detention.

Gagik Tsarukyan is a remnant of the previous system. The era of oligarchs is over, and Tsarukyan must make his peace with that. Armenia is no longer a country for corrupt old men, writes Dr. Nerses Kopalyan.

Armenia’s transition in 1991 brought about a state with a blatant disregard for democracy. The current government should realize the importance of moving forward with a more systematic, effective and coordinated transitional justice platform.

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.

The COVID-19 pandemic upended the government’s plans to hold a Constitutional Referendum that sought to dismiss seven of the nine current judges of the Constitutional Court. Here’s what happened.

A comprehensive list of the most high-profile investigations launched against former officials and their associates following the 2018 Velvet Revolution.

The Armenian government has initiated a broad set of cases against the oligarchs and Robber Barons of the former regime composed of the upper echelon of the previous-pyramid hierarchy. Nerses Kopalyan looks at a number of high-profile cases.

Anna Barseghyan provides a broad overview of the Armenian government’s move to outlaw public calls for violence and draws parallels with the European experience.

In a Chamber judgment, the ECHR has found Azerbaijan in violation of two articles of the European Convention on Human Rights in the gruesome 2004 murder of Lieutenant Gurgen Margaryan.

The European Green Deal is an ambitious plan to make Europe the first climate-neutral continent by 2050. Anna Barseghyan looks at the challenges and opportunities for green policy in Armenia.

Russian Foreign Affairs Minister Sergey Lavrov’s recent statement regarding a step-by-step approach to resolving the Nagorno Karabakh conflict reflects Russia’s centuries-old imperial instincts of using divide-and-conquer tactics on its periphery.

Anna Barseghyan looks back at Europe’s record on the recognition of the Armenian Genocide and writes that as long as new genocides are happening across the world, the Armenian question remains contemporary.

The EU’s policy toward its neighbors has had several transformations, including a shift from a “one size fits all” approach to a “pick and choose” one. Anna Barseghyan explains.

Exactly two years ago, MPs voted for Serzh Sargsyan to become Prime Minister and stay in office beyond his ten-year limit. That should never be allowed to happen again.

Justin Tomczyk traces the history of the Armenian-Turkish border spanning from Armenia’s incorporation into the USSR to the present day, touching upon the Zurich Protocols and reflecting on the viability of a future normalization process.

Artsakh voters will be heading to the polls on March 31. Incumbent President Bako Sahakyan is not seeking another term. Meet the political candidates vying for support and the political backdrop under which they are campaigning.

Lusine Sargsyan explains the history of the institution that is the subject of an upcoming referendum on April 5, 2020.

A number of police reforms have been introduced over the last two years. Though changes to date have been fragmented, a new strategy document promises a new approach.

Internet voting introduces major risks but it is used by a small group of people in Armenian elections.

Armenia’s National Assembly voted to call a constitutional referendum yesterday, which, if passed, would dismiss seven of the nine judges currently sitting on the Constitutional Court.

Since Armenia’s independence, every head of government has shaped the country’s Constitution; Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has made it clear that he will not be an exception.

While the short-term crisis between Iran and the United States is over, the situation is far from stable, or certain, specifically due to the volatile domestic situation in Iran.

EVN Report takes a comprehensive look back on the events that shaped 2019, from high profile criminal cases to foreign relations.

The International Republican Institute recently published its fourth public opinion survey since the Velvet Revolution. The survey found that a healthy majority of Armenians believe the country is heading in the right direction.

Protests have gripped Georgia for the last week following a vote against promised constitutional amendments that would have changed the country’s electoral system.

Opposition parties in Armenia’s second and third largest cities considered the last municipal elections to be illegitimate and refused to attend council meetings for a year. The concerns they raised can be addressed before 2021.

Armenia’s Law on Referenda was passed in 2018 but how effective is it at giving citizens a voice?

In critical post-revolutionary times, public discourse shapes politics. Thus, it is important to be aware of the nature of our digital-political environment. Everything we read, share or say on social media is not necessarily a reflection of the truth.

Residents in Artsakh went to the polls on September 8 to elect mayors and local councils across the Republic. Harout Manougian writes about his experience as an observer in the capital Stepanakert and about the process of the vote.

Harout Manougian writes about how Armenia’s political parties are financed and how that could change as part of the National Assembly’s ongoing electoral reform effort.

When a young woman was found strangled to death in Yerevan, some in Armenian society decided to give themselves the right to discuss what she must have done to deserve such a fate.

Electoral Code reform has been on the agenda in Armenia following the Velvet Revolution last year and the Republic of Artsakh just enacted amendments to its Electoral Code as it prepares for national elections in 2020. Harout Manougian looks at the situation in both republics.

For the past month, protests have been taking place in Georgia. Norik Gasparyan looks at what instigated this latest upheaval and what changes protesters are demanding from their government.

A day after Armenia's second President Robert Kocharyan was released from pre-trial detention, PM Nikol Pashinyan called on the people of Armenia to block courthouses across the country in what turned out to be a bid to pressure judges to resign because of their alleged connections to the former regime and the people's mistrust towards the judiciary.

Whether its a minor disruption due to a mechanical issue or a major blackout from conflict in the region, it is only a matter of time before another Internet outage hits Armenia. Policymakers should address this issue and consider a variety of policy options.

The fake news phenomenon is not uniquely Armenian. It’s a global challenge, but when the stakes are so high following the Velvet Revolution, journalists need to rediscover their mission and have an honest discourse about their role in the state of the media landscape.

Alen Shadunts writes that being democratic should not be a party ideology; democracy is a pre-existing bedrock condition, not an agenda for a particular government.

Year after year international reports raise red flags about labor rights in Armenia even when on paper, labor laws are considered to be relatively sufficient. Expectations are high from the new government in terms of ending a number of ills society has been plagued with but what are the common abuses of the labor law and what are the solutions?

Armenia’s first post-Velvet Revolution parliament will hold its maiden session on January 14. Who are the men and women who will be serving the Armenian people as parliamentarians? EVN Report presents some interesting facts.

After coming to power following the Velvet Revolution, acting Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan made references on several occasions about direct democracy, saying that the highest power belongs directly to the people. What is direct democracy and can it be applied in Armenia?