Armenia’s parliament passes a bill formally declaring the country’s intent to pursue EU membership. Supporters see it as a step toward strengthening democracy, security and economic well-being, while critics question its necessity, arguing that deeper ties with the EU were already progressing without such a declaration.
In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 28: Armenia’s Parliament approves bill to pursue EU Membership; in a telephone call, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio tells PM Nikol Pashinyan that any escalation in the South Caucasus is unacceptable; the Starlink satellite internet service launches in Armenia and more.
Baku and Yerevan have declared their negotiations over, a moment that should, in theory, mark a diplomatic milestone. Yet the actual signing and implementation of a peace agreement remains elusive, if not outright uncertain. With the process stalled in an ambiguous interim phase, this new reality necessitates a careful assessment of the risks and uncertainties defining this transitional period.
In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 7: Armenia’s Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan meets with U.S. Vice President JD Vance during official visit to Washington DC; trial of former Artsakh officials continues in Baku; miners and technicians at Armenia’s largest mine continue wildcat strike and more.
Hungary recently blocked EU assistance to Armenia through the European Peace Facility, yet another move highlighting its strategic alignment with Azerbaijan, from supporting Baku's actions in Nagorno-Karabakh to blocking EU statements condemning them to extraditing a convicted murderer more than a decade earlier.
In order for Armenia to mitigate, anticipate, and deter Azerbaijan's threats and potential attacks, it must understand and qualify the mechanisms that define the Aliyev regime’s propensity for bellicosity, and gauge its “coercive credibility”.
EVN Report's Editor-in-Chief Maria Titizian speaks with Dr. Nerses Kopalyan, author of the monthly series "EVN Security Report" who explains the madman theory, a strategy in coercive bargaining, where the perceived extremism of an actor is leveraged to achieve one-sided outcomes. In this context, Kopalyan explains how Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s bargaining posture operates off of the logic that if his terms are not met, he reserves the right to wage war, thus anchoring the threat of destruction to force acquiescence from Armenia and the international community.
While the EU is one of Armenia’s largest trading partners, exports from Armenia remain relatively low. This trade deficit can present an opportunity for Armenian exporters to expand their presence in the European market and increase their export volume.
Intensified military-political cooperation marked the beginning of a new chapter in Armenia-India relations. Political scientist Georgi Asatryan writes that it can have significant implications for the balance of power in the post-Soviet region, particularly the South Caucasus.
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.
EVN Report’s mission is to empower Armenia, inspire the diaspora and inform the world through sound, credible and fact-based reporting and commentary. Our goal is to increase public trust in the media. EVN Report is the media arm of EVN News Foundation registered in the Republic of Armenia in 2017.
