ANN/Groong — The English-Language Armenian Podcast

• EP588: Hovik and Asbed reflect on Armenia’s 35th independence anniversary amid the aftermath of Artsakh’s ethnic cleansing, Armenian prisoners of war held in Baku, rising citizenship costs, government opacity over war casualties, and deepening Turkey-Azerbaijan strategic coordination.
• EP589: Arthur Khachatryan, MP from Armenia Alliance, discusses opposition strategy after the June 2026 election, territorial concessions including Tigranashen, Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage, TRIPP and Azerbaijan’s control over transit corridors, the future of Russia’s 102nd military base, and escalating threats against opposition parties.
• EP590: Dziunik Aghajanian examines Russia’s September 2026 parliamentary elections, the Armenia-Russia confrontation over the 102nd base, asset confiscation targeting Russian interests, and how Middle East escalation reshapes Armenia’s strategic environment.

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Guest(s):

• Dziunik Aghajanian

Topics:

• Russian parliamentary election outcome
• Middle East escalation and the Houthis
• Armenia-Russia confrontation, including the 102nd base
• Asset confiscation, anti-corruption, and Russian interests
• Azerbaijan-Armenia “durable peace” tensions
• Armenian opposition strategy

Episode 590 | Recorded: September 23, 2026

#Armenia #Russia #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #MiddleEast #UkraineWar #ArmenianPolitics #Geopolitics

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Guest(s):

• Arthur Khachatryan

Topics:

• Reflections on Independence Day
• Post-election opposition strategy
• Tigranashen and other territorial concessions
• Azerbaijani attacks on Armenian heritage
• Azerbaijani control over TRIPP access
• Future of Russia’s 102nd base
• Asset confiscation and Russia tensions
• Attacks and threats against the ARF

Episode 589 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #ArthurKhachatryan #ArmeniaAlliance #TRIPP #Tigranashen #Artsakh #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

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Topics:

• Armenia marks 35 years independent
• Artsakh remembered three years later
• Armenian POWs remain in Baku
• Ukraine strikes deep inside Russia
• Turkey-Azerbaijan deepen strategic coordination
• Citizenship costs rise sharply
• Government opacity over war casualties

Episode 588 | Recorded: September 22, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #UkraineWar #ArmenianPOWs #Azerbaijan #Turkey #SouthCaucasus #ArmenianPolitics

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Guest(s):

• Warwick Powell

Topics:

• SCO and BRICS summit outcomes
• BRICS financial architecture and currencies
• AI safety and strategic competition
• AI sovereignty for smaller states

Episode 587 | Recorded: September 17, 2026

#BRICS #China #SCO #Multipolarity #Artificial0Intelligence #AISafety #DigitalSovereignty #TRIPP

• EP585: Hovik and Asbed examine the fourth anniversary of the September 2022 border war, Azerbaijan’s occupation of Armenian territory, Pashinyan’s trajectory toward recognizing Artsakh’s loss, Hajiyev’s revisionist claims at Gandzasar, TRIPP semiconductor leverage, Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit, Russian financial flows through Armenia, and Russia-Iran coordination in the South Caucasus.
• EP586: Hrant Mikaelian examines U.S. chip diplomacy tied to TRIPP, Armenia’s energy crisis as the nuclear plant nears shutdown, and the structural failures driving Armenia’s education collapse.
• EP587: Warwick Powell explores multipolarity, infrastructure competition, and artificial intelligence as a strategic contest between the United States and China, with implications for smaller states like Armenia navigating TRIPP and competing regional corridors.

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Guest(s):

• Hrant Mikaelian

Topics:

• AI chips tied to TRIPP diplomacy
• Data centers raise major energy questions
• Armenia faces severe education outcomes
• Government reforms versus poor student performance
• Azerbaijan targets Armenian heritage in Artsakh
• Gas dependence exposes Armenia to shocks

Episode 586 | Recorded: September 16, 2026

#Armenia #TRIPP #ArtificialIntelligence #EducationCrisis #Artsakh #EnergySecurity #SouthCaucasus #HrantMikaelian

Groong Links:

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Topics:

• 2022 border war and its legacy
• Hajiyev spouts hate, EU reps giggle
• Armenia’s muted response to Azerbaijan
• TRIPP, NVIDIA chips, and sovereignty
• Pashinyan’s Paris space summit visit
• Russian money flows through Armenia
• Russia-Iran coordination in South Caucasus
• Political prosecutions and Grigoryan reshuffle

Episode 585 | Recorded: September 14, 2026

#Armenia #Artsakh #Gandzasar #TRIPP #SouthCaucasus #Azerbaijan #Russia #Iran

• EP584: Hovik and Asbed examine September 2026 developments across Armenia and the South Caucasus, reviewing Artsakh’s remembered independence declaration, Putin’s military base signaling, Armenian Church prosecutions, EU trade negotiations, non-combat military deaths, and political pressures ahead of local elections.