Society – CIVILNET
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Creative businesses shape the lives of women from Artsakh
Society – CIVILNET 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 […]
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Can a treaty with Azerbaijan protect Armenia?
Society – CIVILNET 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 Black Sea”
Society – CIVILNET 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
Society – CIVILNET 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. […]
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Armenian authorities jail mother, baby over suspected student visa fraud
Society – CIVILNET 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 […]
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Measures to push Baku towards constructive talks discussed in U.S., expert suggests
Society – CIVILNET By Arshaluis Mgdesyan The United States is actively considering sanctions against Azerbaijan to encourage a lasting peace agreement with Armenia, Philip Bednarczyk, Director of the German Marshall Fund’s Warsaw Office, told CivilNet in an interview conducted in Warsaw last Thursday. Bednarczyk, who previously served as a senior adviser on European affairs in the U.S. Congress, explained that ongoing discussions in D.C. include the possibility of sanctions targeted at specific Azerbaijani figures and entities, alongside potential cuts or limitations to certain aid packages directed to Baku. “There are active discussions—not only about potential sanctions on specific actors but […]
