Sixty-six percent of Armenian citizens think the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war was inevitable, according to a new survey by the Caucasus Research Resource Center. Twenty-eight percent of respondents said that a family member of theirs took part in the war, while twenty-seven percent stated that they see a risk of a new escalation in Nagorno-Karabakh in the next five years.
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Armenia to set maximum classroom size at 20-25 students
The Minsk Group has ceased its activities, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. The group was set up in the 1990s to work towards a settlement of the Karabakh conflict. A trilateral meeting of the prosecutor generals of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Russia is set to take place in Minsk. Armenia’s Education Ministry moves to limit classroom sizes to 20-25 students. Credits: Ruptly
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Unpacking the uptick in Armenia-US relations
Anthony Barsamian, the co-chair of the Armenian Assembly of America, speaks to CivilNet about the changing strategies of the non-partisan Washington-based lobbying group, and their activities during and since the 2020 Nagorno-Karabakh war. Mr. Barsamian also discusses the recent news that USAID will provide $120 million in assistance to Armenia, the tactics of the Azerbaijani and Turkish lobbying groups in DC, and the changing nature of the Armenian community in the US.
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Vardazaryan dismissed as fallout from recording scandal grows
By Mark Dovich Armenia’s Supreme Judicial Council on Thursday formally dismissed ex-chief Ruben Vardazaryan “on the grounds of a serious disciplinary action,” over a year after council members voted to suspend Vardazaryan’s powers and transfer them to Gagik Jhangiryan, who has served as the body’s acting head since. The alleged disciplinary action Vardazaryan committed has not been made public. Vardazaryan’s dismissal comes days after he released a recording from last February appearing to show Jhangiryan warning him he would face criminal charges if he refused to resign. Vardazaryan was suspended two months later. In an interview with public television late […]
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Lavrov blames West for Minsk Group failings, says Russia ready
By Mark Dovich Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov on Friday once again blamed co-chairs France and the United States for allegedly freezing Russia out of the Minsk Group, saying the Kremlin is ready to facilitate a peace treaty between Armenia and Azerbaijan on the basis of Russia-brokered declarations and statements. Speaking alongside his Azerbaijani counterpart in Baku, Lavrov said the Minsk Group “ceased its activities on the initiative of the American and French participants” in a strong echo of comments made earlier this week by Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova. Continuing, Lavrov said the Minsk Group’s work had also […]
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Armenia’s top judicial official formally dismissed
Ruben Vardazaryan, Armenia’s former top judicial official, was formally dismissed from his post after he published a recording that appears to show his successor pressuring him to resign. Armenian President Vahagn Khachaturyan called for a “realistic” approach to Karabakh negotiations in a wide-ranging interview with public television. U.S. President Joe Biden nominated Kristina Kvien to be the next ambassador to Armenia. The Armenian government approved a cooperation agreement with USAID worth $120 million. CivilNet sat down for a wide-ranging interview with Anthony Barsamian, the head of the Armenian Assembly of America.
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The importance of diaspora for Armenia’s long-term development
ARMENIA 2041 Foundation Co-founder Ruben Vardanyan talks with Alex Yemenidjian, the former chairman of MGM Studios and the former President of MGM Resorts, about Armenia’s path towards prosperity. Mr. Yemenidjian discusses his involvement with the TUMO Center for Creative Technologies, which has been exporting education to foreign countries, as well as about the impact of his Armenian upbringing on his life’s work.
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Biden nominates new ambassador to Armenia
By Mane Berikyan U.S. President Joe Biden announced the nomination of Kristina Kvien as the next U.S. Ambassador to Armenia, according to a White House statement released Wednesday. Kvien currently serves as the second-in-command at the U.S. Embassy in Ukraine, and before that served as the U.S. acting ambassador in Kyiv for two years, including during the buildup to Russia’s invasion in February. Prior to that, she was posted at U.S. embassies in Bangkok, Moscow, London and Paris, and also held high-level positions in the State Department and at the National Security Council in Washington. Kvien’s nomination comes as current […]
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Armenia’s economic upturn, Georgia’s democratic backslide and Azerbaijan’s dissidents
In the latest edition of Insights With Eric Hacopian, Eric discusses the increasing value of the Armenian currency against the US dollar and what that means for the economy. Eric also talks about the targeting of Azerbaijani dissidents abroad by the Aliyev regime and Georgia’s democratic backslide.