Groong Links:
Guest:
Topics:
- Euronest session takeaways
- Aliyev’s transit move and TRIPP
- Gyumri mayor arrest fallout
- Pashinyan’s push to control the Church
Episode 481 | Recorded: October 29, 2025
Show Notes
Summary
We spoke with MP Arthur Khachatryan about three fronts shaping Armenia’s near term, Euronest politics and what EU rhetoric vs. executive policy means for Yerevan, Aliyev’s transit announcement and the TRIPP push, and a deepening domestic clampdown that now targets the Armenian Church and elected local officials. We also covered the Gyumri mayor’s detention and new “Article 422” speech charges, how these moves feed into the 2026 elections, and why real de-blocking requires practical, two-way access rather than headlines.
Main Topics Addressed
- Euronest session in Yerevan, EU politics vs. practice
- Aliyev’s “transit” move, TRIPP, and real de-blocking tests
- Crackdown on the Armenian Church and use of a defrocked priest
- Gyumri mayor’s arrest, Article 422, and due process concerns
- 2026 elections landscape, opposition strategies, and civic mood
Key Questions Discussed
- What did Armenia gain from hosting Euronest, and what did EU legislators signal versus EU executives?
- Does Aliyev’s announcement change border reality for Armenian goods and travelers, or is it a one-off?
- What would genuine de-blocking look like for rail and road, including Ijevan–Ghazakh and Sadarak–Yeraskh gaps?
- Who benefits from a weakened Armenian Church, and how far can state interference go under the Constitution?
- How do the Gyumri detentions and Article 422 affect local governance and national quorum math ahead of 2026?
- Can opposition parties and emerging movements translate discontent into a coherent 2026 strategy?
Thoughts from the Participants
- Hovik: Armenia has become a surveillance state. The scope needed to film and hold kompromat suggests far greater capacity than is publicly acknowledged, which clashes with EU praise.
- Arthur Khachatryan: Pashinyan’s budget address reframed the army from “combat-ready” to “defense-capable,” which signals externally imposed limits and invites new demands. It is a troubling shift for deterrence and doctrine, and indicates capitulation.
Referenced Articles & Sources
- Aliyev lifts ban on goods transit to Armenia while touting Zangezur Corridor
- Pashinyan eager to open Armenia’s roads for transit between Turkey and Azerbaijan
- Azerbaijan removes all restrictions on transit of goods to Armenia
- Armenpress coverage related to transit and access
Wrap-up
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Guests
Arthur Khachatryan
Mr. Arthur Khachatryan is an MP from the Hayastan Dashinq (Armenia alliance) and a member of the Armenian Revolutionary Federation (ARF Dashnaktsutyun). In the past, he has held government posts such as Deputy Minister of Territorial Administration and Development, Governor of Shirak, and Minister of Agriculture.
Hosts
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.
Asbed Bedrossian
Asbed Bedrossian is an IT professional, and for years oversaw the central IT enterprise infrastructure and services at USC. His decades of experience spanned across IT strategy, enterprise architecture, infrastructure, cybersecurity, enterprise applications, data center operations, high performance computing, ITSM, ITPM, and more.
Asbed founded the Armenian News Network Groong circa 1989/1990, and co-founded the ANN/Groong podcast in 2020.