Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Pashinyan vs. The Armenian Church
- Indian-Armenian Relations
- NGOs and Foreign Influence
- U.S. Geopolitics and the Trump Corridor
Episode 462 | Recorded: August 15, 2025
Show Notes
In this episode, Christine Arakelian joins us for a deep dive into Armenia’s political crossroads. We discuss Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s confrontation with the Armenian Apostolic Church, the arrests of clergy and business leaders, and the chilling effect on society. We explore India-Armenia relations and why opportunities with New Delhi remain untapped, the heavy influence of Western-funded NGOs and the role of new groups like Save Armenia: A Judeo-Christian Alliance, as well as the government’s growing estrangement from the Armenian diaspora. Finally, we place these developments in the context of U.S. politics, Trump’s foreign policy, and the strategic game around the Trump Corridor.
Main Topics Addressed
- Pashinyan’s campaign against the Armenian Apostolic Church and its wider political implications
- The significance of India-Armenia relations in a shifting multipolar world
- The role of NGOs and foreign influence in Armenian governance
- The emergence of Save Armenia: A Judeo-Christian Alliance and its access to the Armenian government
- Armenia’s distancing from traditional diaspora organizations and attempts to create a “new diaspora”
- How U.S. politics and Trump’s foreign policy intersect with Armenia’s future
Key Questions Discussed
- What is driving Pashinyan’s escalating confrontation with the Armenian Church?
- How important is India to Armenia, and who is holding back this relationship?
- Does Armenia need FARA-style laws to regulate foreign-funded NGOs?
- Who is Save Armenia, and what is its relationship to both the Armenian government and Washington?
- Why is the Armenian government distancing itself from the traditional diaspora?
- What does U.S. involvement in the Trump Corridor mean for Armenia, Russia, Iran, and Turkey?
Referenced Articles & Sources
- As Armenian heritage conference opens, ‘we are not here to be bystanders’ (World Council of Churches)
- Pashinyan meets with Diaspora Commissioners (Government of Armenia)
- Tweet thread by Hovik Manucharyan on diaspora policy
Wrap-up
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Guests
Christine A. Arakelian
Christine Arakelian is an attorney in private practice and currently advises Reina Trust Building as its Outside General Counsel. Her corporate and legal experience encompasses corporate financings, mergers and acquisitions, partnerships, civil litigation and constitutional law litigation. She was awarded a Fulbright Fellowship to Saudi Arabia, an iGorts Fellowship to the Republic of Armenia, a Global Health Law Fellowship by Georgetown Law and an Adjunct Fellowship to the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. During law school, Ms. Arakelian worked for the Central Intelligence Agency’s Office of General Counsel and had a TS/SCI clearance. Ms. Arakelian has extensive international experience and expertise and consults globally on matters pertaining to national security, technology, cybersecurity, healthcare, law and finance. She has a B.A. with honors from the University of Pennsylvania and a J.D. from the University of Virginia School of Law.
Hosts
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.