Vakhtang Lejava, member of the Saakashvili team, and now with the Tbilisi Center for Policy Analysis, talks about democracy’s second stage in Georgia: not just transition of power through elections but also good governance. “Unlike in the Middle East or Ukraine, the Rose Revolution is over.” He talks about how the revolution is being consolidated and the continuing and growing expectations of the public.
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Stirrings of Solidarity: Assessing Protests and Demands in Georgia
On this week’s edition of Insights, Eric Hacopian discusses the latest anti-government protests in Georgia and what they mean for democracy in the region. He also analyzes new positive developments regarding the International Criminal Court case against Israel and what that means for Azerbaijan and the progress being made towards accountability. Eric also analyzes the implications of Hungary’s blocking of EU military aid to Armenia, and what Yerevan’s options are amid challenging geopolitical situations.
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LIVE BLOG: ‘Tavush for the Homeland’ protest in Yerevan
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian A protest march led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, which began Saturday from Kirants village in Armenia’s northeastern Tavush region, is culminating Thursday with a rally in Yerevan’s central Republic Square. The demonstrators are demanding the immediate halt to ongoing work in Tavush to legally define part of Armenia’s border with Azerbaijan, which is expected to result in Armenia ceding control of four abandoned border villages to Azerbaijan. In addition to senior church leadership, a number of political groups opposed to the current government have lent their support to the protesters, who have dubbed themselves “Tavush for […]
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Anti-government protests grow in Armenia amid border deal with Azerbaijan
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian A second senior clergyman of the Armenian Apostolic Church has started a march to Yerevan in opposition to a controversial border delimitation deal with Azerbaijan. Protesters led by Mikael Adjapahyan, Archbishop of the northwestern Shirak region, left Gyumri today with plans to join Archbishop of Tavush Bagrat Galstanyan’s march as it approaches Yerevan. The Diocese of Artsakh, led by Bishop Vrtanes Abrahamyan, has also encouraged its followers to join the marches. Upon reaching Yerevan, the protesters will rally at four in the afternoon in the city’s central Republic Square. Meanwhile, the border delimitation process they are […]
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Armenia hopes to normalize relations with Baku by November, says
By Mark Dovich Yerevan hopes to sign a normalization deal with Baku by November and expects steps in that direction at talks later this week in Kazakhstan, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has indicated. “I share the idea of signing a peace agreement by November…and I hope that progress will be made at the upcoming meeting in Almaty,” Pashinyan told reporters during a lengthy and wide-ranging press conference in Yerevan Tuesday. November is the month Azerbaijan is set to host this year’s United Nations climate talks. That arrangement came about after Baku agreed last year to hand over nearly three […]
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Armenia watches as protests against ‘foreign agent’ bill rock Georgia
Tens of thousands of people have been taking to the streets in cities across Georgia for over a month now to protest the ruling Georgian Dream party’s renewed plans to require groups that receive funding from abroad to register as “foreign agents.”The country’s law enforcement has been cracking down on the demonstrations, detaining and injuring dozens, including Ana Tsitlidze, a member of parliament from the United National Movement, Georgia’s main opposition party. Ana Tsitlidze joins CivilNet’s Mark Dovic to discuss the latest developments in Georgia and what they may mean for the region as a whole.
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U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Pays First Visit to Shushi Under
By Paul Vartan Sookiasian The U.S. Ambassador to Azerbaijan Mark Libby made a visit to the occupied town of Shushi in Nagorno-Karabakh today following public pressure from Azerbaijani officials. In an interview published Friday with Radio Azadliq, Radio Liberty’s Azerbaijani service, Libby was asked why he has yet to make a visit to Shushi, a historic town in Karabakh that is part of the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region. Libby replied that while he has visited many parts of Azerbaijan, “It is clear that the returned territories are slightly different. Even more coordination is required. However, I don’t want to be a […]
