Tag: Yerevan

March 22, 2024

Ep. 277: The Week in Review (22.03.24)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 22: Discussions about the handover of four abandoned villages to Azerbaijan continued; Armenians from Artsakh hold a rally in Yerevan’s Freedom Square demanding more aid from the Armenian government and international security guarantees for their return; Armenia’s national carrier, FlyArna’s license is suspended for six months and more.

March 8, 2024

Ep. 275: The Week in Review (08.03.24)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 8: Armenia asked Russia to withdraw its border guards from Yerevan’s Zvartnots International airport; Armenia repatriates the Azerbaijani serviceman, who crossed the border in Syunik last week as a show of goodwill; the unfinished uppers section of the Cascade complex has been returned to the Yerevan Municipality by the Cafesjian Museum Foundation.

February 29, 2024
The Eagle and the Trident

The Eagle and the Trident

With Zelenskyy’s potential visit to Armenia in the coming days, Justin Tomczyk writes that Ukraine’s experience over the past two years can provide insights into how smaller democracies must fight against their larger, authoritarian neighbors.

February 26, 2024
Taking Off/Letting Go

Taking Off/Letting Go

If we can achieve consistent stillness, focus and wisdom that can be called upon even in the most trying situations, then we obtain a ferocious capacity to build and grow, writes Sheila Paylan, whose frequent flights have helped her learn the art of letting go.

February 13, 2024

Karine Martirosyan: Building Virtual Fitting Rooms

Karine Martirosyan, the founder and CEO of Wearify, joins us to discuss her start-up’s vision for helping online consumers try on clothes virtually before buying them. Karine shares how Wearify builds 3D avatars of their users so that they can see how clothes look on them while shopping online, just as they would in a real store. We also spoke about the role that 3D avatars will take on in the coming years as digital environments become increasingly used for a variety of use cases. Lastly, Karine shared her thoughts on how to decentralize tech in Armenia and promote greater activity outside of Yerevan.

January 12, 2024
Մեր տանն ենք, բայց մեր տանը չենք

We’re Home, And Yet We’re Not

In September, two families-in-law from Artsakh found refuge in the village of Yeghvard, Armenia, joining over 100,000 displaced Armenians facing similar challenges. Marut Vanyan, a journalist from Artsakh, provides insight into their experiences.

December 13, 2023
New Canadian Embassy Signals Commitment to Support Armenia

New Canadian Embassy Signals Commitment to Support Armenia

More than three decades after Armenia's independence, Canada finally opened its embassy in Yerevan. Canada's first resident Ambassador Andrew Turner, a career diplomat, speaks to EVN Report's Maria Titizian about the journey to establish an embassy and Canada's strong commitment to support Armenia's democracy and security.

November 13, 2023
Պեղումներ ՁայնաՊատում. Երևանի 1724 թվականի ինքնապաշտպանությունը

Պեղումներ ՁայնաՊատում. Երևանի 1724 թվականի ինքնապաշտպանությունը

1724 թվականին օսմանյան բանակի դեմ երևանցիների մի քանի ամսվա դիմադրությանն է անդրադառնում Վահրամ Մարտիրոսյանի նոր ՁայնաՊատումը, որտեղ հեղինակն առավել մանրամասն է ներկայացնում իրավիճակն ու ավելի շատ փակագծեր բացում, քան հոդվածում։

September 15, 2023

Ep. 251: The Week in Review (15.09.23)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 15, 2023: Tensions in the region continue to dominate headlines, including the growing rift between Russia and Armenia; a Russian Red Cross truck carrying humanitarian aid crosses into Artsakh through the Aghdam road; the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hosts a hearing on the situation in Artsakh and more.

September 1, 2023

Ep. 249: The Week in Review (01.09.23)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of September 1, 2023: Three Armenian soldiers killed and another two wounded as Azerbaijan intensifies attacks on Armenia-proper; Artsakh’s President Arayik Harutyunyan resigns as the catastrophic siege of Artsakh continues; Anne Hidalgo, the mayor of Paris leads a convoy of French humanitarian aid to the Lachin Corridor, which is stopped by Azerbaijan.

August 24, 2023

Քաղաքացիական գիտակցություն կամ ակտիվիզմը՝ որպես Երևանի պաշտպան

Բայց և սակայն, այնուամենայնիվ… 2000-ականների սկզբից ի վեր, Երևանի անվերջ պաշարված ճարտարապետական ժառանգությունն ու հանրային ենթակառուցվածքներն առիթ հանդիսացան ինքնաբուխ, ապա կազմակերպված քաղաքացիական շարժումների ու գործողությունների առաջացմանը։ Դրանց քաղաքական նշանակությունն ու ներազդեցությունն ակնբախ դարձավ 2018 թվականի հեղափոխության արդյունքում։ 2020-ի Արցախյան պատերազմից հետո, սակայն, քաղաքացիական շարժումների ներուժն ու թափը թվում է գրեթե սպառված։ Այնուամենայնիվ, Երևանի քաղաքապետի ընտրություններին ընդառաջ և գերիշխող կուսակցական համակարգի պարունակում առավել քան կարևոր է թվում քաղաքացիական ուժերի վերակտիվացումը և մասնակցությունը թե՛ քաղաքային ժառանգության ու միջավայրի պահպանման, թե՛ քաղաքական օրակարգը ձևակերպելու գործընթացներում։ Դրա հնարավորությունների և առկա վիճակի հիմնախնդիրների մասին զրուցում ենք Երևանի ժառանգության պաշտպանության կոմիտեի անդամ Իզաբելա Սարգսյանի հետ։

August 15, 2023

Narek Aslikyan: Armenia’s Talent Infrastructure

In this episode, Narek Aslikyan, co-founder and CEO of Armenian Code Academy, provides insight into the Armenian tech industry's talent infrastructure. He explains how the Academy prepares individuals for employment in both technical and non-technical roles. We also discussed what is required to create employment opportunities outside Yerevan, and the strategies to encourage various stakeholders to expand into different regions of Armenia.

August 4, 2023

Ep. 245: The Week in Review (04.08.23)

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.

August 1, 2023

Davit Baghdasaryan: Voice Productivity AI

In this episode, Davit Baghdasaryan, the co-founder and CEO of Krisp, discusses how his start-up has grown to be a leader in the voice productivity AI space. He shares his thoughts on AI product development in the age of large AI models, and what the newest developments are in the field of voice AI. Davit also talked about his journey of founding BigStory VC, an early-stage venture capital fund in Yerevan and Bazoomq, a non-profit space research lab where Davit is an advisor.

July 28, 2023

Ep. 244: The Week in Review (28.07.23)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 28, 2023: The situation in Artsakh has reached a tipping point as 120,000 people continue to suffer under a total blockade imposed by Baku; almost 400 tons of humanitarian aid dispatched from Yerevan has not been allowed to enter Artsakh; authorities in Artsakh and Armenia continue to raise the alarm that if the blockade is not lifted, people will begin dying.

July 14, 2023

Ep. 242: The Week in Review (14.07.23)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of July 14, 2023: Baku bans the ICRC from providing humanitarian aid through the Lachin Corridor, accuses the organization of smuggling illegal goods; a large rally takes place in Stepanakert, Artsakh demanding the unblocking of the Lachin Corridor and an adequate international response; the presidents of Armenia and Azerbaijan are set to meet in Brussels tomorrow.

June 29, 2023

Կինոփառատոնային դիվանագիտություն. «Ոսկե Ծիրանի» անփոխարինելի առաքելությունը ճգնաժամի օրերին

Բայց և սակայն, այնուամենայնիվ… 2023 թվականին լրանում է «Ոսկե ծիրան» կինոփառատոնի 20-ամյակը։ Իր «չափահասության» շրջանը մուտք գործող փառատոնը չափազանց բարդ ուղի է անցել վերջին երկու տասնամյակներին` իր հաստատուն տեղը գտնելով միջազգային հեղինակավոր կինոփառատոների շարքում։ Ինչպե՞ս են անդրադարձել վերջին տարիների քաղաքական և անվտանգային զարգացումներն ու մշակութային փոփոխությունները կինոփառատոնի առաքելության և նշանակության վրա։ Ի՞նչ դեր ունի «հեղինակային» կինոն ընդհանրապես Հայաստանի ներքին հասարակական դաշտում: Այս և այլ հարցերի շուրջ (փակագծերը բաց) զրուցել ենք «Ոսկե ծիրան» կինոփառատոնի գեղարվեստական ղեկավար Կարեն Ավետիսյանի հետ։

May 5, 2023

Ep. 233: The Week in Review (05.05.23)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of May 5: The foreign ministers of Armenia and Azerbaijan hold four-day talks in Washington; Turkey closes its airspace to Armenia’s national carrier in response to the unveiling of a statue for OperationNemesis; while in Prague, PM Nikol Pashinyan says mechanisms for safeguarding the rights and security of Armenians of Artsakh are still uncertain and more.

March 24, 2023

Ep. 227: The Week in Review (24.03.23)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of March 24: An Armenian soldier is killed by Azerbaijani fire near the village of Yeraskh in Armenia; while in Talish, now under Azerbaijani control, Ilham Aliyev makes threatening statements against Armenia; Armenia’s Constitutional Court announces decision declaring obligations enshrined in the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to be constitutional and more.

September 16, 2022

Ձայնագիր. Սահմանից` կենտրոն. Ադրբեջանի ռազմական հարձակումն ամփոփ

Շաբաթասկզբին Ադրբեջանը Հայաստանի սուվերեն տարածքի վրա լայնածավալ հարձակում գործեց, ինչին զուգահեռ Երևանում հերթական անգամ ոտքի կանգնեցին գործող իշխանություններից դժգոհող քաղաքացիները։

July 6, 2022

7×25 cm

After losing his job, photojournalist Vaghinak Ghazaryan, started driving a taxi. Combining his love of cars with his love of photography, he began capturing images of his passengers through the rearview mirror.

June 24, 2022

Ep. 192: The Week in Review (24.06.22)

In EVN report’s news roundup for the week of June 24: An Armenian soldier is shot dead by Azerbaijani Armed Forces in Armenia’s Gegharkunik region; Artur Vanetsyan, head of the Fatherland Party and leader of the “I Have Honor” bloc resigns his seat in parliament; while in Baku, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says the OSCE Minsk Group ceased its activities because of the U.S. and France plus more.

June 9, 2022
Seven Who Made History: Aleksandr Myasnikyan

Seven Who Made History: Aleksandr Myasnikyan

The first episode in the series focuses on Soviet Armenian statesman Aleksandr Myasnikyan. An Armenian from Nor Nakhijevan (Rostov-on-Don), Myasnikyan was sent to Armenia by Lenin in 1921. His mission was to implement a more moderate approach toward governance, in line with Lenin’s New Economic Policy (NEP). Myasnikyan inaugurated the NEP era in Armenia, allowing the republic to rebuild and stabilize after the 1915 Genocide and the experience of the First Republic. The series is hosted by historian Pietro A. Shakarian and produced by Sona Nersesyan.

June 6, 2022
Երևան փոդքասթ #1. Հայերեն

Երևան փոդքասթ #1. Հայերեն

Արևելահայերենի և արեւմտահայերէնի փոխհարաբերակցության մասին զրուցում են Ռուբինա Մարկոսեանը, գրական գործակալ Արևիկ Աշխարոյանը, ճարտարապետ Մովսէս Տէր Գէորգեանը և արաբագետ, լեզվաբան Մարատ Յավրումյանը:

May 20, 2022
Ep. 188: The Week in Review (20.05.22)

Ep. 188: The Week in Review (20.05.22)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of May 20: the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan to meet in Brussels next week with European Council President Charles Michel; while in Moscow participating in a meeting of CSTO leaders, Armenia’s Prime Minister Pashinyan calls out the rapid reaction mechanisms of the organization; opposition protests and acts of civil disobedience continue for the third week in a row in Yerevan.

February 25, 2022

Ep. 176: The Week in Review (25.02.22)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of February 25: As Russia launches a full scale war in Ukraine, tensions in the greater region surge; Russia and Azerbaijan sign historic declaration on a strategic alliance; two Azerbaijani MPs cause a scandal in Yerevan during the Euronest Parliamentary Assembly session and Armenia’s government sacks five top military commanders.

December 12, 2021
A National Hiking Trail

A National Hiking Trail

The opening of the Armenian section of the Transcaucasian Trail means hikers can now walk the length of Armenia along a specially-constructed footpath that connects the Iranian and Georgian borders, taking in some of Armenia’s most spectacular landscapes and cultural sites on the way.

December 4, 2021
Գրքերի եւ գավաթների մասին

Գրքերի եւ գավաթների մասին

Միրզոյան գրադարանի պատմությունը սկսվեց 100 գրքից և երևանյան հին բակերից մեկում: Ֆոտոլրագրող Կարեն Միրզոյանը պատմում է գրադարանի կայացման և կից գործող սրճարանի մասին և ոչ միայն:

November 19, 2021
Ep. 162: The Week in Review (05.11.21)

Ep. 164: The Week in Review (19.11.21)

In EVN Report’s news roundup for the week of November 19: Azerbaijan launches a large-scale offensive on Armenia’s eastern border leading to intense battles; a Russian-brokered ceasefire comes into effect five hours later; one day before the Azerbaijani attack, PM Nikol Pashinyan sacks Defense Minister Arshak Karapetyan; the 29th Eurasian Intergovernmental Session of the Eurasian Economic Union kicks off in Yerevan and more.

September 12, 2021
Kond: Urban Information Storage

Kond: Urban Information Storage

Kond is the oldest surviving vernacular neighborhood in Yerevan. Its significance lies not in the current cultural, social and political interpretations but rather in this district’s capacity to store and transfer information across generations.

August 30, 2021
The Peephole

The Peephole

A peephole view into the kaleidoscopic distortions of other people’s lives where human interaction is set in ways foreign to you and distant from you yet in your city where the “hero” is your friend. A true, but not a real story from the ninth floor, in building 9a, in the Ninth District, the door without the peephole.

July 14, 2021
Fragments of Identity

Fragments of Identity

A new exhibition by the History Museum of Armenia entitled “Costume: Fragments of Identity” recently opened in downtown Yerevan. The curator of the exhibition, Vigen Galstyan speaks to EVN Report about how in the conceptualization of the temporary exhibit, it became clear how little scholarly research has been done on traditional Armenian costumes from a theoretical, political or social perspective.

June 20, 2021
Armenia Votes: Live Updates

Armenia Votes: Live Updates

As Armenian citizens head to the polls to vote in an early parliamentary election today, the country is bracing itself for one of the most unpredictable election outcomes since independence. Live updates from Election Day.

February 18, 2021
Notes From a Future Museum: Time-Keepers

Notes From a Future Museum: Time-Keepers

Vigen Galstyan explores the humble charm of Soviet Armenian mechanical clocks in this first instalment of a series of articles about Armenia’s not-too-distant past as a major producer of everyday consumer goods and a hot spot for industrial design in the USSR.

September 16, 2020

Helping You Recycle Your Waste

Haik Kazarian, co-CEO and CMO of Smart Apaga, a private waste management service is filling a need in Yerevan - collecting and delivering plastic, paper and glass waste to a number of private recycling companies looking for recyclable material. Over 1000 households and organizations are currently using the services of Smart Apaga, which is also set to launch an app to ensure an even better customer experience and benefits.

March 14, 2020

Հեռացումի օրագրեր

Ժամանակ կար՝ 90-ականների սկզբին, երբ Երևանի «Զվարթնոց» օդանավակայանից երկու կանոնավոր չվերթ էր գործում՝ մեկը դեպի Մոսկվա, մյուսը ռուսական մեկ այլ քաղաք։ Նախորդ դարավերջին սկսված այս գործընթացն արդեն շարունակվում է մոտ երեք տասնամյակ և արդեն աշխարհի բոլոր ուղղություններով։ Մարդիկ հեռանալու տարբեր եղանակներ են որոնել ու գտել  և իրենց պատմությունները պատմել օրագրերին։ Եվ, չնայած դրանց երբեմն չափազաց անձնական բնույթին, մեզ հաջողվել է հավաքել մոտ մեկ տասնյակ օրագրեր, որոնք վավերագրում են Հայաստանը լքողների քողարկված զգացմունքները։  Կարդում է հոդվածի հեղինակ ՝ Արեն Մելիքյանը:

October 14, 2019
Women on Bikes

Women on Bikes

While understanding the historical importance and benefits of bicycles in women’s lives, why are less females riding bikes? Some major cities in the U.S. and Europe have conducted studies to understand this, and the main factor is safety.

December 26, 2018
Retro Sounds in a Digital Format

Retro Sounds in a Digital Format

What happens when we search Armenian artists from the 20th century on the Internet? If we’re lucky, we might find a video or two and bits of information. It’s not because Armenia doesn’t have its legacy in folk music, jazz or classical music but because the tunes have been locked away in archives, something that is about to change.

December 18, 2018

#Yerevantropics

What is Your Yerevan Like? Could it be with palm trees and the sea somewhere not so far from Charbakh? It is for Sergey, a street artist with a vision for one of the oldest neighborhoods in Yerevan.

December 16, 2018
Her Revolution

Her Revolution

This is a film about the Velvet Revolution, which took place in April-May of 2018 in Armenia from the perspective of Anna Hakobyan, the wife of Nikol Pashinyan, the man who led the nationwide movement that drastically changed the country's political landscape. The film portrays the personal side of Pashinyan’s political life and career.

November 24, 2018
Underground II

Underground II

There is art underground. It is beautiful and that is probably why it is hidden. Meet Armenia's underground musicians through EVN Youth Report's series.

November 22, 2018
Was the Revolution Justified?

Was the Revolution Justified?

Was there just cause for the Velvet Revolution on substantive or procedural grounds? Dr. Simon Clarke applies a number of principles to the events that took place in Armenia earlier this year to determine whether the revolution was justified.

November 12, 2018
Hayk Daveyan

The Ambivalence of Shahumyan: Armenia’s Bolshevik Ghost

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.

October 16, 2018
Ինչու «կանաչ» քաղաքականությունը կանաչ չէ բոլոր համար

Why Green Policies Are Not Green For Everyone

Cross-border cooperation among environmental groups is imperative to ensure real environmental protection globally. Drawing examples from Armenia and Lebanon, Sophia Manukyan delves into the world of high-stake investments and assistance in heavy metal mining and waste management.

September 30, 2018
Ararat Mirzoyan on Snap Elections, Electoral Code Reforms and Transitional Justice

Ararat Mirzoyan on Snap Elections, Electoral Code Reforms and Transitional Justice

First Deputy Prime Minister Ararat Mirzoyan sat down with EVN Report to talk about the challenges facing the new government as they prepare, among other things, to introduce reforms to the Electoral Code, make amendments to the Constitution to pave the way to snap elections and the potential introduction of transitional justice to deal with the sheer volume of corruption cases.

September 20, 2018
Revolutions Beyond Roses and Love

Revolutions Beyond Roses and Love

Norik Gasparyan, a journalist from Tbilisi writes about the differences and similarities of two revolutions that took place 15 years apart in the South Caucasus: the Rose Revolution in Georgia and the Velvet Revolution in Armenia.

August 25, 2018

The Aesthetics of Politics and Yerevan’s Statues

If we look at how many monuments have been erected in Yerevan and how many were dismantled, we’ll have an extensive overview of the political currents and ideological tendencies that swept through the country since independence. As per the list provided by Yerevan Municipality, 51 statues and busts were erected in Yerevan since 1991.

June 11, 2018

Armenian Futurists of the Past

Arpine Haroyan looks back at how an avant-garde art movement called Futurism impacted the work of a number of young Armenian intellectuals in Constantinople, Tbilisi and Yerevan at the turn of the 20th century.

May 13, 2018
Yerevan Time and the Burden of Victory

Yerevan Time and the Burden of Victory

As a participant and observer in every protest starting with the Karabakh Movement in 1988, Lusine Hovhannisyan writes that while Nikol Pashinyan gifted Armenians victory in 2018, the people now find themselves nervous about every decision, every appointment, every opinion being expressed.

May 6, 2018
Visual Art and the Revolution

Visual Art and the Revolution

Visual artist Ruben Malayan’s poster art that he created during the Velvet Revolution in Armenia is a fusion of his passion for calligraphy and the momentous events sweeping across the country.

April 30, 2018
Նոր 1988 է արդյոք 2018-ը

Is 2018 the New 1988?

In this new piece, Mikayel Zolyan writes about the similarities and differences between the 1988 Karabakh Movement and the 2018 Velvet Revolution - what it meant for people then and now and lessons to be learned.

April 23, 2018
Freedom of Information is Jeopardized

Freedom of Information is Jeopardized

One of the most effective ways for authorities to control freedom of speech is to adopt and implement laws and other legal mechanisms that try to curb the work of the media. Shushan Doydoyan takes a looks at recent amendments in the RA law that have served this purpose.

April 17, 2018
The Last 48 Hours in Yerevan

The Last 48 Hours in Yerevan

As Armenia's parliament elected Serzh Sargsyan as Armenia's prime minister today and as tens of thousands gathered in Republic Square in protest - here is a look back on the events of the last 48 hours through the lens of photojournalist Eric Grigorian.

April 16, 2018
Civil Disobedience and Clashes in Yerevan

Civil Disobedience and Clashes in Yerevan

While parliament prepares to elect the country’s new prime minister on April 17, thousands of Armenians poured out into the streets of the capital, exercising acts of civil disobedience. Clashes with security forces led to dozens of injuries. A recap of the day’s events.

April 13, 2018
Armenia in Crisis Again?

Armenia in Crisis Again?

Demonstrators led by Nikol Pashinyan, leader of the Civil Contract party, have shut down a major square in Yerevan, paralyzing the downtown core of the capital to protest former President Serzh Sargsyan’s candidacy for the office of prime minister.

March 1, 2018
4 Plus

2008: Post-Election Armenia in Images

On March 1, 2008, police units move in to put an end to ongoing protests disputing the results of the February 19, Presidential Elections in Armenia. In the aftermath ten people are dead, hundreds were injured. The reality before and after March 1st as seen through the lenses of the members of the 4Plus photo collective.

August 11, 2017

Grand Hotel Yerevan: A Living Legend of the City

Grand Hotel Yerevan was not only the first large-scale public building constructed in Yerevan, it also played a significant role in the cultural renaissance of the capital city. Arpine Haroyan weaves together the fascinating history of the landmark hotel through the voices of its illustrious residents.

July 20, 2017
Misplaced Fear

Misplaced Fear

At the height of the Erebuni siege last year by the Daredevils of Sassoun, a group of journalists were allowed into the compound. "Misplaced Fear" is a journalistic and a photographic essay by Roubina Margossian, who was working for CivilNet at the time and provides an inside view of the events that day and also reflects on developments of the past year.

April 4, 2017
Post-Election Armenia

Post-Election Armenia

Political pundits will analyze the April 2 Parliamentary Elections for weeks and months to come. The results, however, were not surprising. What are the programs and policies that need to be implemented to prepare the country for the next election cycle?

March 23, 2017

The Armenian Diaspora

The Diaspora has been an inherent component of Armenian reality since antiquity. Its enduring roots, affluent heritage and indispensability to the Armenian nation is difficult to challenge. This article examines the global entrepreneurial endowment of the Diaspora, how it developed and what its role can be today for the Republic of Armenia.

March 20, 2017
Spotlight Karabakh

Spotlight Karabakh

This special section is a historical overview of the disputed region of the Republic of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh Republic, NKR), one of the last unresolved conflicts in the former Soviet space.

March 16, 2017
Foreign Policy Discourse

Foreign Policy Discourse

Armenia is situated in a volatile region with 80 percent of its borders sealed. This article by Vahram Ter-Matevosyan examines the foreign policy programs of the nine political parties and blocs running in the parliamentary elections.