Historian Bjorn Bandlien stumbled upon the Armenian presence in Norway in the 13th century, through Icelandic documents. Cilician Armenian kings were interested in establishing links with Norwegians — either for strategic support or to trade hunting falcons — says Bandlien, based on Latin and Old Norse records.
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Armenia’s concessions legitimize Azerbaijan’s coercive actions, expert warns
By Karen Harutyunyan Armenia’s continuous compliance with Azerbaijan’s preconditions under the threat of force is legitimizing Baku’s illegal actions, warns Benyamin Poghosyan, senior analyst at APRI Armenia think tank. In an interview with CivilNet, Poghosyan argues that Armenia is inadvertently sending a message that Azerbaijan has legitimate grounds for making certain demands, which further legitimizes Azerbaijan’s coercive approach. This dynamic was clearly demonstrated in April 2024, when under the threat of war, Armenia agreed to a 12.5 km border delimitation in the Tavush and Qazakh regions. The process resulted in Azerbaijan reclaiming its four abandoned villages while retaining Armenian agricultural […]
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Armenia’s EU Law: A Political Symbol or a Practical Path?
By Siranush Adamyan On January 9, the Armenian government approved and sent to the National Assembly a draft law to initiate the country’s EU membership. The draft law comes after a 2024 petition campaign on EU membership, which gathered over 52,000 signatures, exceeding the required 50,000. The discussions that have begun in Armenia have received significant attention both domestically and internationally, often with far-reaching conclusions. What does the EU membership process entail? The EU membership process involves several key steps, including: – Presenting an official application to the EU Council – Receiving European Commission’s opinion on the application – Granting […]
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EU seeks to maintain border monitoring presence in Armenia for
By Alexander Pracht The European Union’s official for Foreign Affairs Kaja Kallas has proposed extending the mandate for its observer mission in Armenia through February 2027, according to Radio Free Europe, which has sent an inquiry to the EU for further details. “Member states have welcomed the proposal and are currently discussing the necessary legal acts with the relevant bodies of the Council of the European Union. The Council’s decision on the extension is expected in the coming days,” Kallas explained. The EU deployed its civilian observers to Armenia in February 2023 with a two-year mandate after Azerbaijan launched an […]
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CivilNet, other partners address Mark Zuckerberg as Meta closes fact-checking
By Alexander Pracht CivilNet, along with other international fact-checking organizations, has addressed Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg in an open letter, urging the company to reverse its decision to wind up the fact-checking program in the United States, announced on Wednesday. The letter, signed by fact-checking partners worldwide, highlights the significant progress made since the program’s launch in 2016. The initiative has been praised for reducing the spread of false information across Meta’s platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Threads, without censoring users. The signatories reject Zuckerberg’s claim that the program has become a tool for censorship, stressing that fact-checkers operate under […]
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Pashinyan proposes dissolution of OSCE Minsk Group following Azerbaijan’s war
By Zhanna Avagyan Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has proposed dissolving the OSCE Minsk Group as part of a comprehensive peace initiative. This move comes shortly after Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev declared that signing a peace treaty would be “impossible” without both the Minsk Group’s dissolution and changes to Armenia’s Constitution. In a detailed Facebook post, Pashinyan outlined his vision for regional peace, addressing several key issues including territorial definitions, refugee rights, and security concerns. He specifically challenged Azerbaijan’s “Western Azerbaijan” narrative, arguing that such terminology effectively closes the possibility of meaningful dialogue about refugee rights by implying territorial claims […]
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US-Armenia strategic deal marks progress, not security guarantees
By Zhanna Avagyan Armenia’s Foreign Minister Ararat Mirzoyan said that Armenia and the United States will sign a strategic partnership agreement in the coming days. While numerous claims have emerged in Armenian media suggesting this document would provide security guarantees to Armenia, political analysts interviewed by CivilNet emphasize the document’s importance but caution against such security expectations. “We have a strategic dialogue that we agreed to elevate to a strategic partnership. There are documents under discussion about this, of course. That’s what follows from this announcement. A meeting is also planned. As for the outcome, if you follow the news, […]
