- Georgia has been granted European Union candidate status, while Putin warns Armenia against leaving Russian-backed organizations.
- Azerbaijan has rejected Armenia’s proposal to mutually withdraw troops from their common border.
- In this week’s Insights, host Eric Hacopian delves into Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s reason for calling early presidential elections. He also provides an end-of-year review of Armenia’s economic performance in 2023. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z4lKPqKWjic
- CivilNet visits the Armenian Malinois Project of search and rescue dogs enhancing Armenia’s emergency response capabilities. Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEKgIvDWeLQ
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Support Café offers healing and community for displaced Artsakh elders
By Nanor Froundjian At the Armenian General Benevolent Union Vahe Karapetian Center, more than 20 elders from Artsakh gathered–just as they have been for nearly two months–sharing memories and building a sense of community in a city that is still new to them. Led by Alzheimer’s Care Armenia, and with support from AGBU, the Support Café for Artsakh Elders provides social support to displaced residents of Artsakh aged 60 and above. Activities include music and art therapy as well as cognitive-enhancing work. For Lusadzin Vizoyan, one of the participants, gathering with the group is the highlight of her week. Born […]
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Armenia’s Western Pivot: Smart Move or a Risky Gamble?
Dr. Pavel Baev, a professor at the Peace Research Institute in Oslo, is in Yerevan to participate in a conference organized by the Caucasus Institute. The program is entitled “Gathering Storm: Regional Security of the South Caucasus in the Context of the Crisis of the Global Order.” Dr. Baev speaks with CivilNet about Russia’s foreign policy and whether the current geopolitical shifts may see Moscow make a stronger comeback in the South Caucasus. He also assesses Armenia’s western pivot at this moment when the global liberal order appears to be ending under President Donald Trump.
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Residents of Armenia’s Azerbaijan-bordering villages feel safer with EU monitors
By Gevorg Tosunyan In the border village of Kutakan in Armenia’s Gegharkunik province, cattle breeder Martin’s house is the closest to the Azerbaijani positions. It is only 700 meters away from the line of contact between the Armenian and Azerbaijani forces. In recent days, particularly on March 21 and 22, the sound of gunfire was heard in the village during the night. “The shots were not directed at the village,” says Martin. In his opinion, the presence of the EU monitoring mission in the village has noticeably increased stability and tranquility. Before that, Russian border guards were on duty in […]
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U.S. remains committed to strategic partnership with Armenia, Rubio confirms
By Alexander Pracht Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio held a phone conversation to discuss the U.S.-Armenia strategic partnership and regional issues, the Armenian government reported Tuesday. Rubio stressed the significance of the strategic partnership agreement that was signed earlier under the Joe Biden administration, reaffirming Washington’s commitment to deepening ties with Yerevan. Pashinyan briefed Rubio on Armenia’s negotiations with Azerbaijan, emphasizing that the draft normalization agreement has been finalized and is awaiting signature. The two officials agreed to maintain high-level dialogue between their countries. In its readout, the U.S. State Department said that […]
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Armenia was absent from the map, the map was edited,
Shushan Stepanyan, #CivilNetCheck During the “28 minutes” program broadcast by the Franco-German Arte TV channel on March 24, a geopolitical map showing Turkey and the adjacent countries was displayed. However, Armenia was missing from the map, and its territory was marked as part of Azerbaijan. The channel’s error received significant attention in the Armenian media field. Pro-government news sites Armtimes.am, Civic.am, Medianews.am, and the Baghramyan 26 Telegram channel claimed that, in reality, pro-Russian circles were trying to spread anti-French sentiments in Armenia. “In the actual video recording of the program, Armenia is visible with its internationally recognized borders,” the articles […]
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Yerevan’s 2024 Budget: Fees and Bonuses Increase While Priority Programs
By Elen Muradyan Despite increased taxes and fees in Yerevan in 2024, the capital’s budget has underperformed, and programs deemed priorities have largely gone unimplemented. This is according to a report on Yerevan’s 2024 budget performance published today by the Luys Foundation, a think tank of the opposition-aligned Republican Party of Armenia. Revenue: Increased Rates, Modest Growth For the 2024 fiscal year, city authorities sharply increased local fees and charges, prompting a negative public reaction. Yerevan’s actual budget revenue amounted to 116.7 billion drams (roughly $300 million), which, despite these measures, is only 1.6% higher than the previous year’s figure […]
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Yerevan mayor absent as protesters rally against mass tree cutting
By Christopher Crowson The initiative Yerevan for People organised a demonstration outside the City Hall on Tuesday to protest against the authorities’ latest tree cutting campaign in the Armenian capital. Last week, the City Hall’s official contractor, Kanachapatum, cut down around 50 mature trees on central Yerevan’s Tumanyan Street as part of its program to remove and replace all of the city’s maple, elm and ash trees. “We knew that the cutting down of these trees would eventually take place since the City Hall and Kanachapatum have a plan to cut down 60% of Yerevan’s trees,” a representative of Yerevan […]
