Tag: european parliament

Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report" talks about why establishing a Western pivot was crucial for Armenia to achieve an independent foreign policy and enhance its security capabilities. Kopalyan explains why this process involves pivoting first and only then adopting hedging strategies.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of August 4, 2023: Despite calls from around the world to lift the blockade of Artsakh, Baku continues to strangulate 120,000 people; the abduction and arrest of a 68-year-old resident of Artsakh during a humanitarian transfer raises fears of deepening the already acute crisis in the region; diplomats accredited to Armenia and UN agencies visit Kornidzor where trucks of humanitarian aid continue to be blocked by Baku.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of June 30, 2023: Four servicemen are killed in an Azerbaijani attack in Artsakh; the foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan conclude the latest round of talks in Washington; after a total blockade, the ICRC is able to resume the transfer of patients from Artsakh to Armenia for now.

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of June 23, 2023: It has been over a week that all humanitarian aid and cargo into Artsakh has been blocked by Baku; PACE Resolution condemns Azerbaijan and expresses surprise that Baku refuses to acknowledge the serious humanitarian and human rights consequences of the blockade; Chair of the European Parliament’s sub-committee on Security and Defense visits Lachin Corridor, calls the blockade illegal and says Baku must ensure the rights and well being of the Armenians of Artsakh.

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?

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 EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 11: Azerbaijani Armed Forces are targeting Armenian settlements and military positions as the world’s attention is focused on the war in Ukraine; the European Parliament passes a resolution on the destruction of cultural heritage in Artsakh; Armenia’s National Security Service announces that it caught another spy network operating in Armenia and more.

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.

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.

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.

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.

A recent joint statement by three Members of the European Parliament on the construction of a new, third highway between Armenia and Artsakh was not well-received in Armenian circles.

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

The upcoming Brussels Summit on the Eastern Partnership will be another challenge for Armenia as it seeks to maintain the internationally-recognized OSCE Minsk Group framework, with its inclusion of the principle of self-determination.

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.