Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Russo-Iranian Partnership Treaty
- Implications of 🇷🇺 - 🇮🇷 pact for Armenia
- Trump Back in Office: War or Peace?
Episode 407 | Recorded: January 25, 2025
Show Notes
In this Conversations on Groong episode, we discuss the recently signed Russian-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty with historian Dr. Pietro Shakarian. The treaty, signed in January 2025, is a significant development in Eurasian geopolitics, encompassing military, economic, and cultural cooperation. We explore its implications for Armenia, the South Caucasus, and the broader region, as well as its intersection with global power dynamics involving the United States, Europe, and Israel.
Topics Covered
- Russian-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty
- Implications of the treaty for Armenia and the South Caucasus
- Eurasian geopolitics and the significance of Articles 12 and 13 of the treaty
- Azerbaijan’s strategic importance and its relationships with Turkey, Israel, and the West
- The role of the International North-South Trade Corridor (INSTC) and regional infrastructure
- The geopolitical implications of U.S., Russian, and Iranian interactions
Key Questions Discussed
- Why was the Russian-Iranian Comprehensive Strategic Partnership treaty needed, and what are its historical underpinnings?
- What differentiates the treaty from a formal military alliance?
- How does the treaty’s Article 12 define regional peace and security, particularly for the Caspian, Central Asia, Transcaucasia, and the Middle East?
- How might this treaty influence the geopolitical orientations of Armenia and Azerbaijan?
- What is the strategic significance of the International North-South Trade Corridor, particularly in relation to the Rasht-Astara railway?
- How does Azerbaijan’s growing importance to both Russia and Iran affect Armenia and the region?
- What is the treaty’s impact on U.S. and Israeli strategic interests in the region?
Links Referenced During the Show
- The Russo-Persian Partnership Pact: Significance and Implications – Pietro Shakarian
- Iran President’s Office Announcement
- Reuters: Russia’s Planned Gas Pipeline to Iran
- Groong Podcast Episode Page
- NBC News: Trump on Russia-Ukraine Conflict
- TASS: Kremlin’s View on Trump-Putin Relations
- Axios: Trump-Putin Ukraine Peace Talks
- Al Jazeera: Ukraine Struggles to Mobilize Citizens
Wrap-up
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Guests
Pietro Shakarian
Dr. Pietro Shakarian is a historian of Russia and the Soviet Union and a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Historical Research at the National Research University–Higher School of Economics in St. Petersburg, Russia. He is currently completing his book on the major role of Anastas Mikoyan in Soviet nationality policy reform and de-Stalinization during the era of Nikita Khrushchev’s Thaw. Dr. Shakarian’s analyses on Russian and post-Soviet affairs have appeared in The Nation, The Plain Dealer, and various other publications. He was previously a lecturer in history at the American University of Armenia in Yerevan.
Hosts
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast.
Hovik Manucharyan
Hovik Manucharyan is an information security engineer who moved from Seattle to Armenia in 2022. He co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020 and has been a contributor to Groong News since the late 1990s.
Disclaimer: The views expressed by Hovik Manucharyan on the ANN/Groong podcast are his own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of his employer or any other organization.