Arin Karapet is a member of the Swedish parliament. Elected in 2018, he is the second Armenian to ever serve in the Riksdag, as Sweden’s legislature is known. In a conversation with CivilNet, Karapet discusses the future prospects of Armenia-Sweden relations, how he sees democratization in Armenia, and how Armenian causes are discussed in Swedish politics.
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Six reasons why Russia acts the way it does, according
By Lia Avagyan At a lecture delivered during the 2025 Monterey Summer Symposium on Russia, historian Ronald Grigor Suny argued that Russia’s foreign policy is driven not by a singular pursuit of power but by a complex mix of historical insecurity, fragmented identity, and perceptions of threat. Suny, a distinguished professor of history at the University of Michigan and emeritus professor at the University of Chicago, spoke in Batumi on June 25 as part of the symposium organized by the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. In a keynote address titled “Empires and the […]
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Creative businesses shape the lives of women from Artsakh
By Minahil Arif Narine Hakobyan, 29, tears up recalling the blockade in 2022 when she had to stand in long queues for just a single loaf of bread. Her husband was serving in the army and would rarely come home, making her the sole parent responsible for the kids. She moved to Yerevan when roughly 120,000 Armenians were ethnically cleansed from Artsakh in 2023 following continuous violence and the full blockade of the region by Azerbaijan. Hakobyan survived the blockade together with her sister. When one of them stood in lines for food, the other stayed home with her kids. […]
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Can a treaty with Azerbaijan protect Armenia?
Hrair Balian, former director of the Carter Center’s Conflict Resolution Program, analyzes Armenia’s critical juncture as it pursues normalization with Azerbaijan and Turkey. Drawing on decades of experience and his forthcoming book on the failure of the Nagorno-Karabakh peace talks, Balian offers a sober look at the potential of a normalization treaty with Azerbaijan. He addresses public skepticism and fears of renewed aggression, and emphasizes that there can be no peace treaty without the release of the Armenian prisoners held in Baku.
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Thomas de Waal: “The Geo-History of Russian-Turkish Rivalry on the
Thomas de Waal, British journalist, author, and Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe, delivered a lecture titled “The Straits: The Geo-History of Russian-Turkish Rivalry on the Black Sea” on June 25 in Batumi. The event was part of a symposium organized by the Monterey Initiative in Russian Studies at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey. The 2025 Monterey Summer Symposium on Russia took place in Batumi, Yerevan, and Tbilisi from June 25 to July 13.
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Wendy’s to open first locations in Armenia under franchise deal
By Alexander Pracht International fast food chain Wendy’s announced Tuesday that it plans to enter the Armenian market through a new exclusive franchise agreement, opening 20 restaurants across the country by 2030.While the company did not specify an opening date, the first restaurant is set to launch in central Yerevan.“Launching Wendy’s in Armenia represents a bold step forward in redefining the quick service restaurant experience in our country,” said Hrant Grigoryan, CEO of Wen Restaurant LLC, the local franchisee for Wendy’s in Armenia. “We are bringing a fresh perspective, one rooted in quality, innovation, and modern hospitality. From made-to-order menu […]
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Armenian authorities jail mother, baby over suspected student visa fraud
Photo: Zaruhi Postanjyan By Alexander Pracht An Armenian woman was arrested and sent to pre-trial detention near Yerevan last Friday with her 8-month-old daughter over charges of assisting an illegal migration scheme — a case that has sparked widespread attention and criticism in the country. Liana Harutyunyan, who is accused of aiding an illegal entry of Indian citizens into the U.S. and the EU, was initially taken into custody with her infant daughter. Both were later transferred to a hospital in Abovyan near Yerevan after the child reportedly fell ill, her lawyer Zaruhi Postanjyan told the RFE/RL Armenian Service on […]
