Show Notes

Main Topics Addressed

Pashinyan in Tirana: Very little was shared in advance about his meetings with Erdogan and Aliyev; post-meeting reports reveal renewed demands, including the removal of Mt. Ararat from Armenia’s coat of arms. European leaders echoed calls for a “swift” peace deal.
Lavrov’s Visit to Yerevan: Russia aims to stay relevant in normalization talks; seeks presence, not outcomes.
Crackdown on Journalism: Armenian journalists face persecution; authorities draft new anti-media laws.
Municipal Corruption & Political Decline: Tigran Avinyan allies arrested; public confidence in Yerevan city leadership slipping.
Election 2026 and Opposition Rifts: Kocharian eyes a comeback; factions split between elections and impeachment.
Military Reform = Demilitarization?: $52,000 bill to shorten service seen as quiet demilitarization.
The Kitchen Sink Segment: Follow-ups on Iran-Armenia ties, parliament chaos, and defense import cuts.

Key Questions Discussed

What exactly are Aliyev’s expanding demands, and why does the West appear complicit?
Why is Pashinyan negotiating secretly with Erdogan while Turkey blockades Armenia?
Can Lavrov’s visit restore Russia’s influence in Armenia, or is it just optics?
Is Armenia’s military reform a step toward national weakening under external pressure?
Why are Western civil society groups silent as press freedom erodes in Armenia?
Can the Armenian opposition realistically unseat Pashinyan in 2026—or are they too fragmented?

Referenced Articles & Sources

Wrap-up

Links and Resources

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Thanks to Laura Osborn for the music on our podcasts.

Hrant Mikaelian

Hrant Mikaelian, a political scientist and multidisciplinary researcher in social sciences based in Yerevan. He is also a senior researcher at the Caucasus Institute. Hrant is a co-founder of the Armenian Project.

Asbed Bedrossian

Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional with extensive experience in enterprise IT infrastructure, IT security, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.

Asbed is founder of the Armenian News Network Groong (ca. 1989/1990) and co-founder of the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020.

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.

Hrant Mikaelian - Tirana, Lavrov, Armenian Un-Democracy, Demilitarization, and More | Ep 438, May 18, 2025 [EP438]

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