In the latest edition of Frontlines, Karnig Kerkonian and Garo B. Ghazarian talk to Varuzhan Avetisyan, a member of the National Democratic Axis, an Armenian electoral bloc, about the the organization’s approach towards the normalization processes between Armenia and Turkey and the challenges Artsakh is facing.
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No plans to leave EAEU despite Armenia’s EU aspirations: Economy
By Arshaluys Mghdesyan Armenia’s Economy Minister Gevorg Papoyan announced today that the government has no plans to withdraw from the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU), even as the country pursues closer ties with the European Union. “Our main goal is to strengthen economic stability, regardless of our membership in any organization,” Papoyan stated at a press conference. “We need to grow our industry and focus on producing more complex products and delivering quality services.” The statement comes after the Armenian government approved a draft law last week, initiating the process of EU membership consideration, which was subsequently sent to parliament. The […]
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Yerevan mayor reimburses $19,000 for controversial business class flight
By Alexander Pracht Yerevan Mayor Tigran Avinyan has reimbursed approximately $19,000 to the municipal budget, his spokesperson Hayk Kostanyan reported today. The reimbursement comes after controversy surrounding Avinyan’s November business trip to Los Angeles, where taxpayer funds were used to purchase an expensive flight. Municipal regulations require a competitive bidding process for such procurement contracts, which was not followed in this case. Back in November, the Yerevan Municipality signed an agreement with a private contractor to purchase nine airplane tickets from Yerevan to Los Angeles, with a stopover in Doha, Qatar, worth approximately $31,700, including a single business class ticket […]
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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 […]
